Police respond to more than a dozen impaired driving complaints in Waterloo Region over three days

A file image of a Waterloo Regional Police car.

The Waterloo Regional Police Service said they are seeing an alarming spike in impaired driving complaints.

Officers responded to 14 calls between Friday and Sunday. They said that was a 250 per cent increase compared to the three days prior.

Six of the incidents happened in Cambridge, three were reported in Kitchener and three in Waterloo, with North Dumfries and Wilmot Townships at one complaint each.

Police said alcohol-involved collisions were reported in four cases, drug-impairment was detected in two, and one complaint involved a novice driver with a blood alcohol level above zero.

Officers stopped a driver in the eastbound lanes of Highway 401 around 5 a.m. Saturday after receiving reports of a vehicle slowing down and swerving. The driver was arrested and charged with operation while impaired and failure to comply with demand.

Later that same day, around 5:30 p.m., a driver in Kitchener hit a parked vehicle and drove into oncoming lanes, nearly hitting other vehicles and a Grand River Transit bus. The driver sped through a parking lot before stopping. That driver was charged with operation while impaired, failure to stop after an accident and dangerous operation.