A terrifying scene in Port Dover on Saturday after a van jumped a curb and started driving on the sand towards beachgoers.

People were forced to leap out of the way or risk being run over by the alleged impaired driver.

The incident prompted the county to place temporary barricades along the beach the following morning and begin the process of installing permanent ones.

“It was very terrifying to watch the video,” says Norfolk County Mayor Charlie Luke. “We just don’t want the risk of this happening again.”

He says measurements of the area have already been taken and he expects to have the permanent barricades in place within one week.

The barricades or bollards will be spaced approximately four to five feet apart to allow for pedestrians to pass through.

Often bollards are made of concrete however Luke says the county has decided on wooden barriers to fit the nautical theme of the downtown.

The mayor says they’re also in negotiations with property owners along Walker Street to continue the bollards down the road.

There are several beaches in Norfolk County and many of them do not have barricades but the mayor says it’s something they will consider moving forward.

“This has been a wake-up call for us,” says Luke. “We need to do everything possible to ensure that our public is safe.”

In the meantime, people in Port Dover are still on edge after the ordeal.

Provincial police say they have continued to receive calls and want to remind everyone to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

Yourem Mako, 43, has been charged with impaired driving, dangerous driving, driving over the legal blood-alcohol limit, and breaching probation.

The Stoney Creek man appeared in a Simcoe court on Thursday but was remanded into custody when documents from Peel Region didn’t arrive at the courthouse.