Drink-driver smashes into parked car with family of six inside

A DRINK-driver smashed into a parked car containing a family of six in Portland Street in Leith on New Year’s Day.

The 43-year-old female driver was one of 462 motorists caught across Scotland during a month-long crackdown on drink and drug-driving.

The figure is down from the 496 caught last year, but police are pledging to keep the pressure on motorists flouting the law throughout the new year.

The campaign, led by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (Acpos), ran from December 3 until yesterday.

Today, police warned that although the traditional festive blitz is over that they would continue to vigorously pursue drivers who took to the roads either under the influence of drink or drugs. Deputy Chief Constable Tom Ewing, who heads the Acpos road policing unit, said: “This year’s campaign may be over, but that does not mean officers will be ignoring the scourge of drink and drug-driving.

“It will be part of routine night and day to look out for those who are prepared to take the risk. We will track these people down using every means at our disposal.”

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: “We may have moved into a new year, but it’s clear some drivers still hold outdated attitudes and think it’s OK to drink and drive.

“Sadly we’ve already seen hundreds of drivers ignore the risks and put lives in danger in the last few weeks.

“That is absolutely deplorable in this day and age and these people will find out the hard way that their actions will be met with the full force of the law.”

In other cases in the Lothians, following a call from a member of the public regarding a suspected drink-driver, officers traced a female driver and found her unconscious through drink or drugs within her home in Penicuik.

She was rushed to hospital where doctors were forced to intubate and anaesthetise her before she was detained in custody by police.

A motorist on the A1 near to Dunbar saw a vehicle being driven erratically by a 68-year-old female. After the vehicle had mounted the kerb a second time it came to a halt.

The motorist, concerned for the driver, opened the car door and discovered that the female was obviously drunk and called the police. She refused to provide a sample.

Officers who stopped a vehicle in Bathgate, which had previously been reported as having being driven erratically, tested a 24-year-old and found him to be four times over the legal limit.