Yahoo Lifestyle Driver's 'selfish decision' sparks fresh warning from police: 'Please don't'
Police are warning drivers not to get behind the wheel when intoxicated.
A driver's "selfish" act is a warning to other motorists who think about getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, with a bent tyre and scratched car a lucky escape compared to what could have happened, police say.
On Monday police attended the scene of a multi-car collision in Nowra, on the NSW South Coast. They found one Ford Ranger with it's front left tyre bent almost completely backwards and a brand new Kia damaged with it's "disappointed" owner by its side.
It's understood the 50-year-old Ford driver decided to jump into his car despite being "heavily intoxicated" — having over five times the legal almost of alcohol in his system. His car collided with the Kia but police confirmed no one was injured despite his "selfish decision".
"An evidential breath analysis returned a reading of 0.275," a NSW police spokesperson said. "Thankfully [it] didn't result in anyone being injured ... it did, however, leave the owner of this brand new Kia Seltos greatly disappointed when he heard the Ford Ranger collide into his parked vehicle."
The 50-year-old's licence was immediately suspended and he has been issued a notice to attend court in July.
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Alcohol contributes to almost a fifth of fatal crashes in state
According to the Judicial Commission of NSW, about 18 per cent of fatal crashes that occur in the state are due to drink driving. Each year approximately 56 people in NSW die in alcohol-related crashes, prompting police to encourage motorists to always have a "plan B" for how to get home before they pick up a drink.
Not only can motorists receive fines of up to $3,300 for high-range drink driving offences like this one, they can face 18 months of imprisonment and risk the life of others, as well as their own.
"Please don't drink and drive," NSW police have urged.
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