Man arrested for impaired driving after van drives on crowded beach in Port Dover, Ontario

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A minivan drove onto the main beach in Port Dover, Ont., on Saturday and nearly struck beachgoers. (Brandon Kitchen/Facebook)

A 43-year-old man is in custody after a minivan drove onto the main beach in Port Dover, Ont., on Saturday afternoon and nearly struck a group of unsuspecting people enjoying the summer heat, Ontario provincial police say.

A minivan drove onto the main beach in Port Dover, Ont., on Saturday and nearly struck beachgoers. (Brandon Kitchen/Facebook)

The OPP along with fire services and paramedics were called to the scene at about 12:37 p.m. ET.

“Initial information was that the vehicle driver had struck several beachgoers,” OPP Const. Ed Sanchuk told CBC News.

“Upon arrival, it was determined that no one had been struck or injured as a result of this incident.”

Sanchuk said that bystanders took the driver out of the vehicle and held him for police.

The driver, a man from Stoney Creek, Ont., was taken into custody and charges are pending.

Viral video

Sanchuk said there were approximately 600 people on the beach on Saturday.

Video of the incident showing a blue Dodge Caravan mounting the curb and driving onto the beach narrowly missing pedestrians quickly went viral online. In it, a man is seen pulling someone from the van’s path as it rolls onto the sand.

“The father was aware of his surroundings, not only off the beach but on the beach, and being aware of those surroundings saved their lives,” Sanchuk said.

“I can’t stress the importance of making sure you’re aware of your surroundings at all times, and that father did an excellent job getting his daughter out of the way.”

Police said on Twitter that the driver was suspected of being “extremely intoxicated” and is facing several charges, including an impaired driving charge.

Brandon Kitchen, who caught the incident on camera, said that the sand and the beach chairs managed to slow down the van.

“When he was on the ground, he was just screaming, ‘All of you will pay for this,’ and kept reiterating that in different forms, so it was kind of scary that way.”

Kitchen said he thought the driver’s actions were “intentional, just not premeditated.”

The investigation into the incident is in its early stages, and police say they plan to identify the man on Sunday.

Source: CBC News, 4 Aug 2018

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