Car falls through Gardiner Expressway, man charged with impaired driving

A male in his 30s has been charged with impaired driving after driving the wrong way on the Gardiner Expressway and driving through a hole. (Jacob Estrin/CTV News Toronto)

A man in his 30s has been charged with impaired driving after allegedly driving the wrong way on the Gardiner Expressway and falling through a hole late Tuesday afternoon, say Toronto police.

The incident happened just after 5:30 p.m., between the Exhibition GO station and the back of the Enercare Centre.

Police said the driver of a grey Honda was travelling westbound on the highway’s eastbound lanes, near Dufferin Street, when they drove through a closed-off construction site.

The vehicle then fell through a hole and landed on its roof below on Strachan Avenue, near the Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Speaking to reporters near the scene on Tuesday evening, Duty Insp. Brian Maslowski said the driver was outside the vehicle when police first responded. He added that no one else was inside the vehicle at the time of the collision and that no serious injuries have been reported.

“It’s an incredible drop, as you can see, from the Gardiner Expressway,” said Maslowski, who was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene.

“This person was very fortunate, at least in that portion of not having any injuries.”

Police are urging people to “use extreme caution” in the area.

The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information, including dashcam footage from that area around 5:35 p.m., is asked to contact Traffic Services at 416-808-1900 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.