Man charged with impaired driving in Markham New Year’s Eve crash that left 1 dead

York Regional Police say a 40-year-old man has been charged with impaired driving-related offences following a crash on New Year’s Eve that claimed the life of a 68-year-old man.

Investigators said that around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday a police officer began following a white Hyundai Veloster that drove past her near Major Mackenzie Drive East and Kennedy Road in Markham.

Shortly after, at about 7:20 p.m., police said the driver of the Hyundai collided with a white Toyota Corolla near Ninth Line and Elgin Mills Road East.

2:04 Impaired driving charges up across GTA in 2019

The driver of the Toyota was pronounced dead on the scene. The driver of the Hyundai sustained no serious injuries, police said.

Stanley Choy, 40, from the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, has been charged with impaired operation causing death, having a blood alcohol content of 80 plus causing death and dangerous operation causing death.

“In 2019, York Regional Police laid more than 1,700 charges for impaired-related driving offences and the number of drivers choosing to drive while impaired is showing no signs of decreasing,” police said in a press release issued Thursday.

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The Special Investigations Unit (SIU), known as Ontario’s police watchdog, is also investigating if there was some sort of interaction between the officer and the suspect vehicle prior to the crash.

The SIU is an independent enforcement agency that investigates incidents involving police that have resulted in death, serious injury or alleged sexual assault.