Intoxicated Zamboni Driver Arrested After Crashing Into Hockey Rink Boards

The laws prohibiting driving while intoxicated were taken a step further in a very strange incident outside of Ottawa. Police in Chelsea Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa, detained a man early on Monday night on suspicion of operating a Zamboni while intoxicated. Local police swiftly stepped in after he collided with the boards while operating the ice-resurfacing vehicle around the arena at Meredith Center.

A referee can be seen skating alongside the machine and its driver as it crashes loudly into the boards in a 30-second video that has been uploaded online.

Several witnesses saw the incident, and one of them called the police after noticing indications that the driver was intoxicated, according to Sgt. Martin Fournel of Sécurité Publique MRC des Collines-de-l'Outaouais. He claims that after giving the rink employee a sobriety test, police arrested him and released him with an agreement to appear in court later.

Although it's unclear what the official was saying to the driver, it's obvious that something was amiss because the driver quickly collided with the boards in the incident captured on surveillance footage. Although there was some damage, it was evident that no one was harmed because the incident happened at a very slow speed with no one on the ice.

Fortunately, this was not nearly as bad as it could have been, but it serves as a great reminder that drinking alcohol before operating any vehicle, regardless of the type of vehicle, is never a good idea because it can lead to dangerous situations.