The consequences of this accident could have been dramatic. On January 23, 2022, a motorist was driving on the A21, with his two children on board, aged six and one and a half at the time of the incident. It was 12:30 p.m., traffic was flowing smoothly, visibility was good. Suddenly, he saw a vehicle coming from an access ramp to the expressway, driven by a young man, who he said was speeding. He was hit from behind and ended up in a ditch.
The emergency services intervene, everyone is taken to the hospital. They are all, fortunately, only slightly injured. The father is given three days of total incapacity to work, his children three days for one and four days for the youngest.
3.25 g of alcohol in the blood…
All this could have ended with an accident report and an amicable settlement between the insurance companies. Yes, but the police found on the scene that the young driver was drunk. He was unable to blow into the breathalyzer and was complaining of chest pain. A blood sample was taken and the blood alcohol level was found to be 3.25 g, an extremely high level.
… without a license
During the investigation, the police found that the driver’s license had been revoked due to a zero points balance, and he had been notified of this. The person concerned disputes this violation.“I wasn’t the one who signed the notification, I wasn’t aware of it,” he said during the correctional hearing at the Béthune judicial court on Friday, September 6.
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For his excessive alcohol consumption that day, he explains that he drank vodka until 3am, and that by noon, he thought the alcohol in his blood would have dissipated. The prosecution is requesting a five-month prison sentence and a fine of 250 euros for excessive speed. The defense lawyer is filing conclusions of nullity concerning the irregularity of the blood samples. The defendant, a 26-year-old from Liévin, employed in catering, never convicted, will know his fate on September 27, the court having reserved judgment.
