Stolen Bobcat plows into a Toronto home
Suspected drunk driver arrested after leaving ‘large hole’ in house
A man was arrested after a suspected drunken ride on a stolen Bobcat snowplow ended with him slamming into the side of a home in Scarborough on Saturday and fleeing the scene, police say.
“Under the Criminal Code a Bobcat is not considered a motor vehicle. So, he is not arrested for suspected impairment,” Toronto police Const. David Hopkinson said.
“He could face other charges, such as break and enter, theft or mischief.”
Emergency services received reports that a bulldozer had rammed into the side of a building near the intersection of Victoria Park and Danforth Aves. shortly after noon.
Hopkinson said police arrived to find a “large hole” in the side of the building, a detached house on Macey Ave. Part of the building may have collapsed as a result of the impact, he said.
The house was occupied at the time of the incident, said Toronto police Sgt. Kenny Ho, but no one was injured.
Ho said two men in their late 20s to early 30s were seen fleeing in the Bobcat, and said the driver was wearing a reflective construction vest. By Saturday evening police had located and arrested the driver. He was taken to hospital for minor injuries he sustained in the collision.
“Investigators believe he was intoxicated at the time of the incident,” police tweeted.
Officers say they found the Bobcat on South Woodrow Blvd., near Birchmount Rd. and Danforth Ave., roughly two kilometres from the house. Police say the Bobcat was stolen from a construction site.
Photos from the scene show a large hole in the side of the house, with loose bricks spilling onto the ground below. Photos also show a gap in the backyard fence and damage to a drainpipe and what looks to be an air conditioning unit, although po- lice haven’t said what caused this damage.
Counter to early reports that the vehicle was a bulldozer, Ho described it as a “snowplowtype” vehicle.
The city’s building inspector will assess the structural damage to the home, police said.