Drunken Mark Dufresne arrested after police chase in Durham

A 30-year-old Pickering man is facing multiple charges, including impaired driving, after a lengthy pursuit last night.

On Thursday December 23, 2010 just after 11 p.m. police were called after a motorist followed an impaired driver into the McDonald’s restaurant parking lot on Highway 12 in Beaverton. The motorist saw the vehicle strike a pole in the drive-thru and attempted to convince the suspect to stop driving. The suspect vehicle then drove over a curb and proceeded southbound on Highway 12.

The witness followed the vehicle from a safe distance and kept police informed. The suspect vehicle was operating erratically, changing speeds, turning its headlights off occasionally and passing other vehicles in an unsafe way. A DRPS cruiser picked up the pursuit in the Sunderland area as the vehicle continued southbound on Highway 12.

Attempts to safely pull the vehicle over failed and a tire deflation device was deployed near Scugog Line 12 in the Greenbank area. The vehicle came to a stop after its tires were punctured and then the suspect ran into a field to evade police. He was discovered face down hiding in a snow drift and was arrested.

Mark DUFRESNE, age 30, of Meadowridge Crescent. in Pickering is charged with: Impaired Operation; Fail to Provide Breath Sample; Dangerous Driving; Drive while Prohibited; Fail to Stop for Police. He was held for a bail hearing.