Multiple people sent to hospital after series of alleged drunk driving crashes over the weekend: police

String of alleged impaired driving crashes Waterloo regional police say officers responded to seven weekend collisions involving alleged impaired driving. Ricardo Veneza reports.

Several people were sent to hospital over the weekend as Waterloo regional police responded to seven crashes allegedly involving impaired drivers.

Between Nov. 18 and Nov. 20, WRPS said the crashes happened across Waterloo region, with two happening in Cambridge, two in Woolwich Township and one each in Kitchener, Waterloo and Wellesley Township.

"That's absolutely out of the norm, and it's an exceptional number given the weather conditions,” said WRPS Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths.

Police said a crash on Old Chicopee Drive on Sunday evening sent three people to hospital with serious injuries. Another crash happened on Sunday in the area of Line 86 between Reid Woods Drive and Floradale Road in Woolwich Township that sent a 17-year-old girl to hospital with serious injuries.

Griffiths called the incidents concerning, pointing to several transportation alternatives that are available for those consuming alcohol or drugs.

“We do have drug-impaired driving arrests and collisions involving drug-impaired drivers, including this weekend, so we're not just talking about alcohol anymore,” said Griffiths.

On Friday, police said officers found a driver allegedly impaired by alcohol during a RIDE program. The driver was arrested and charged, their licence was suspended, and the car was impounded.

“It's not the easiest part of our job for sure, and having to say to somebody, 'they're in the hospital' or 'go see them immediately' is always the hardest part of our investigation,” said Griffiths.

For advocates against impaired driving, seeing a series of weekend crashes is disappointing.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Waterloo Region vice-president Scott Verhoeve said hundreds of people each year are convicted of impaired driving in the region alone.

“To hear seven in one weekend is saddening, it's a bit disheartening, but unfortunately, it's ongoing on a regular basis,” said Verhoeve.

The crashes come at the beginning of the annual Festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) Campaign.

Launched on Nov. 17, the Festive RIDE Campaign is an annual provincial police enforcement and education initiative aimed at taking alcohol-impaired and drug-impaired drivers off the roads during the holiday season.