A lorry driver from Spain was caught drink-driving on the foggy A47 after he was found “clearly drunk” by police officers.
The driver aroused suspicion by swerving between lanes and was later found to be at least three times the legal drink drive limit.
Bernabe Martinez Sanchez, 51, of El Palamac, Murcia, Spain, was spotted by an eagle-eyed officer on patrol on Monday morning (December 7).
The officer saw the white Iveco articulated HGV being driven in thick fog along the westbound carriageway of the A47 Soke Parkway just after 9am.
The lorry was pulled over and the officer noticed Martinez Sanchez, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, was clearly drunk.
A court heard how he “had glazed, bloodshot eyes and smelt heavily of alcohol”.
The keys were removed from the vehicle’s ignition and the driver, who did not speak English, was initially confused at being asked to get out of the lorry.
Martinez Sanchez gave a roadside breath test reading of 155 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
He was arrested and taken to Thorpe Wood Police Station, where he provided a further reading of 124 microgrammes of alcohol.
Martinez Sanchez was remanded in custody and appeared at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on December 8 where he was handed eight weeks in prison.
He was also disqualified from driving for 34 months.
PC Shaz Ali, who investigated, said: “Having witnessed it first hand, the defendant’s driving on Monday morning was almost beyond belief.
“The consequences of his actions could have been so much worse had he not been spotted.
“The sentence imposed in this case should serve as a stark warning to others who get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs. It’s really not worth the risk.
“People can help us make the roads of Cambridgeshire safer for everyone by confidentially reporting others they suspect of driving while under the influence.”
The sentence comes as the force supports a national campaign cracking down on drink and drug drivers this December.
Claire Danks, whose daughter Lauren was killed by a speeding drink driver in 2016, is supporting the crackdown and warning that driving under the influence could destroy lives forever.
Ms Danks, 47, is encouraging motorists not to drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs - as part of Cambridgeshire Police’s month-long campaign - following the death of her 22-year-old daughter in 2016.
She was killed on her way home from work in 2016 by drunk motorist Nelson Curtis, who was driving at over 100mph on the A11 at Red Lodge, Suffolk. He was later jailed for seven years.
Mrs Danks, from Soham, is now an ambassador for the Road Victims Trust, a charity that supports victims of fatal and life-changing road collisions across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire.
To report an incident of drink or drug driving, call 101 or 999 in an emergency. People can also report drink or drug driving via a dedicated, confidential hotline.
The hotline: 0800 032 0845 is available 24/7, and gives people the chance to help reduce the number of drink or drug drivers on the roads.
For more information about drink or drug driving, the law and the dangers it can cause, as well as the confidential hotline, visit the force’s dedicated web page on driving under the influence.
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