Twice in a week: man arrested for drink driving at opposite ends of the country

This is a long read but an important one.

Earlier this week, our officers arrested a man at Scotch Corner on the A1 after he refused to provide a sample during a stop.

The stop was part of an operation focusing on the carriage of dangerous goods. Officers had located several empty alcohol containers in the passenger seat and footwell of his vehicle, and the man appeared to be under the influence.

Once in custody, it was revealed that the same individual had been arrested just days earlier in Camden, London, by our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police for the exact same offence.

In both incidents, the man was charged by the respective police forces and to appear in court.

During the same operation, officers stopped another driver who was found to be transporting vital medicines to a hospital for cancer patients.

While conducting routine checks, officers noticed a strong smell of what appeared to be cannabis coming from the cab of the vehicle.

The driver subsequently tested positive for both cannabis and cocaine using a DrugWipe test. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Despite the arrest, officers worked swiftly with the provider to ensure the medicines were delivered to the hospital within the required time frame.

Once in custody, blood samples were taken from the man and he has been released under investigation until we receive the results. Depending on the results he will likely have some difficult questions to answer from his employer about his actions.

In York alone yesterday evening, four drivers were arrested for drink or drug driving offences.

In the first incident, officers attended a serious collision involving a cyclist and a taxi driver. The taxi driver tested positive for cannabis at the roadside, was arrested, but refused to provide a sample in custody. He has since been charged and remanded to appear in court, and our investigation remains ongoing.

In the second case, officers responded to reports of a man suspected of drink driving. He was located and arrested at Poppleton Services after providing evidential breath test readings over the legal limit. Once in custody the 26-year-old man from the York area was charged and will appear in court.

While at Poppleton Services attending the same incident, our officers noticed a vehicle performing a wheel spin around the roundabout before entering the services area—despite the presence of four of our marked traffic vehicles.

The driver was stopped due to the manner of his driving, provided a positive roadside breath test, and was arrested. Evidential breath test specimens confirmed he was over the limit, and the 18-year-old man from the Harrogate area subsequently charged.

In the final incident of the evening, a 31-year-old man from the Redcar and Cleveland area was arrested after testing positive for cocaine following reports of erratic driving. He was also arrested for other serious offences, and the case is now being handled by CID.

These cases demonstrate that no matter where you are in the country, and no matter what your purpose is for being on the roads, police forces are working tirelessly to tackle drink and drug driving this Christmas and take dangerous drivers off the roads.

Drink and drug driving is never acceptable. It puts lives at risk—not only the driver’s but also those of innocent road users.

If you choose to drive under the influence, we will catch you.

As part of our Christmas drink and drug driving campaign, officers across our county are stepping up patrols, carrying out roadside tests, and using intelligence-led operations to identify and apprehend offenders.

With the festive season in full swing, our plea is for drivers to think twice before getting behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs.

The legal and personal consequences of drink driving are severe, including potential fines, a driving ban, or even imprisonment.

Most importantly, the decision could mean the difference between life and death.

We’d also encourage our communities to report suspected drink drivers by calling 101 or, in emergencies, 999.

Let’s work together to keep our roads safe this Christmas.