A young man was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol after having the very bad idea to flee from the police on the frozen shore of the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City early Wednesday.

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The 22-year-old young man, originally from Laval, was driving on Route 138 (Sainte-Anne Boulevard) westbound in Boischatel when he was involved in a collision, around 4:15 a.m.

According to the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), his vehicle would have deviated from its trajectory and then hit a second vehicle which was coming in the opposite direction.

“Following that, the driver at fault fled towards the river towards the south. The other driver did not suffer a serious injury, ”explains SQ spokesperson Stéphane Tremblay.

Police and firefighters searched the area to locate the suspect. He was located an hour later on the shore of the river while he was entangled in ice and water at low tide.

It's unclear if he was in trouble or just trying to hide, police say.

Anyway, the rescuers had to use an inflatable boat to bring the man to safety.

He was later arrested by the police and taken to hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

A blood test was taken to confirm the suspicions of the police as to his alleged state of intoxication.

The young man was released. According to the SQ, he could face charges of hit and run and driving while impaired by alcohol.