‘Nearly hit by a car’: 911 call released after impaired driver caught going wrong way on Hwy. 407

Durham Regional Police have charged one man with impaired driving and released audio of a 911 call after he was allegedly caught driving the wrong way on Highway 407 last weekend.

Authorities received several 911 calls just after 11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25, regarding the driver of a black Honda sedan travelling westbound in the eastbound lanes of Highway 407 at Harmony Road North in Oshawa.

One caller indicated the vehicle was travelling at a very high rate of speed. 

“I’m on the 407 going east, and I was nearly hit by a car driving on the 407 east, going west,” the caller said. “He was speeding. Unfortunately, I couldn’t see him; he was driving west of Enfield.”

“He must have been going 160. 180… I could only see this car driving towards me, so I moved into the right lane. It almost made me feel like I was going the wrong way, but he was going the wrong way,” the caller added.

The driver was eventually located by a local RIDE unit. He was pulled over without incident and taken into custody.

Police said 44-year-old Maryon Tondera of Oshawa was charged with impaired operation, failure or refusing demand, dangerous operation and driving the wrong way on a divided highway.

A Durham Regional Police spokesperson said the 911 call was transferred to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) because it was occurring on a 400 series highway.

“This incident could have had devastating consequences and underscores the importance of calling 911 when you suspect an impaired driver,” a Durham Regional Police spokesperson wrote in a news release.