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Driver caught sleeping in middle of intersection near Toronto with loaded gun

Between finding dogs behind the wheel, busting residents operating vehicles despite multiple lifetime driving bans and happening upon people using lawn chairs as car seats, Toronto area police have been busy with their fair of ridiculous traffic offences lately.

The latest was a driver who was found stopped in the middle of a major intersection just north of the city early Monday morning, apparently completely asleep.

Officers from York Regional Police (YRP) responded to a call and discovered the 33-year old man's vehicle blocking north and southbound traffic at the corner of King Road and Keele Street, right by a busy exit for Highway 404 in King Township, about 40 minutes north of the downtown core.

The incident took place around 12:30 a.m., meaning traffic in the area was fortuntely light — but the dark and snowy conditions made it even more of a safety hazard.

Upon investigating, authorities awoke the man, named in a YRP press release as Matthew Strachan from Barrie, and noted that he appeared to be impaired and subsequently failed a roadside sobriety test. They also spotted drug paraphernalia nearby in the vehicle.

After placing him under arrest, they conducted further search, which shockingly revealed a loaded handgun.

The offender now faces multiple charges including Possession of a Loaded Restricted Firearm with Ammunition, Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm in a Motor Vehicle and Careless Storage of a Firearm, on top of drug and driving charges.

Thankfully, as in similar recent busts of drivers doing stupid and hazardous things while under the influence, no car accidents occurred and no one was injured as a result.

Lead photo by

Emergency Vehicles


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