Suspected drink driver lands car in tree near Shrewsbury
A woman has been arrested for suspected drink driving after a crash left her car vertical in a tree near Shrewsbury.
The silver car smashed into a telegraph pole on the B4386 at Cruckton early on Sunday morning.
The car flipped in the air before coming to a stop in the tree, its bonnet facing to the ground.
West Mercia Police said the 18-year-old driver failed a roadside breath test and was arrested after the crash, which caused only minor injuries for her and at least one passenger. She has been released under investigation.
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service sent two crews from Shrewsbury shortly before 6am. The ambulance service was also called.
It was one of a number of drink related incidents that police in across Shropshire were dealing with over the weekend – as officers warn people are continuing to ignore the drink-drive message.
There were eight people arrested for drink driving on Saturday night, and another three involved in drug driving. Shrewsbury police tweeted: “Plan your journey home if going out and leave the motor at home.”
Assistant Chief Constable Martin Evans, of West Mercia Police, today warned that a reckless hard core of motorists are still continuing to gamble with other people’s lives by drink driving.
Gamble
He said that, despite year after year of Christmas drink drive campaigns, his officers were continuing to catch people who are over the limit.
He said: “There are still people who feel they can gamble, even though they know the limit.”
With extra drink drive patrols over Christmas in Shropshire, AA president Edmund King today told the Shropshire Star of his frustration that the issue remained a problem, blaming a group of “chancer” motorists, especially on rural roads where they think they won’t get caught. He also spoke of the problem of people with alcohol problems who continue to drive.
“These are the people who will take a chance,” he said. “They think if they avoid the high street, and take a quiet rural road, they are unlikely to get stopped.”
“They don’t take into account they are more likely to crash, and that then they will be breath-tested and banned.”
West Mercia Police launched its annual drink drive campaign on December 2.
As well as additional patrols, the force are trying to raise awareness of the issue.
Last year 261 people were arrested for drink or drug driving over the festive period.
Over the past three years, 17 people were killed and 103 seriously injured in crashes involving drink or drugs.Nobody was found to be trapped upon the arrival of the fire crews.
