Motorway snooze drink-driver banned

A drunk driver, who fell asleep after parking on the outside lane of a motorway, has been banned from driving.

Police were alerted to John Alexander Reid's pick-up truck by other motorists, who had encountered the stationary vehicle on the A1(M) near Baldersby, North Yorkshire.

Northallerton Magistrates' Court heard that officers found Reid asleep at the wheel, and that the car's lights had been turned off.

Hilary Reece, prosecuting, said: "Officers eventually managed to wake him and a rolling road block was used to get the vehicle onto the hard shoulder," The Mirror reported.

24-year-old Reid, from Alloa, Scotland, was found to be nearly twice the legal drink drive limit, having 60 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. He gave no explanation for how he ended up asleep on the busy national speed limit road.

Zoe Passfield, defending, said that Reid accepted it could have been a much more dangerous situation: "Fortunately no damage or injury was caused to Mr Reid or other people.

"He had been drinking but never intended to drive," she added.

Reid was banned from driving for 18 months after admitting a single charge of drink driving. He was also fined £120 and ordered to pay court costs and a victim's surcharge totalling £105.

Following the verdict, a spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police commented: "It is extremely fortunate that no one was killed or injured because of Reid's actions in the early hours of 28 January.

"This is another shocking example of how drinking can affect your judgement behind the wheel.

"The consequences of leaving a vehicle in lane three of a motorway, during hours of darkness, could have been utterly devastating."