By Simon Majadibodu
A woman motorist was arrested after a breathalyser test revealed that she was driving under the influence of alcohol when she ploughed into a pedestrian and left five passengers injured in Thembisa.
Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa, spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) said that officers from the metro police's first responders unit drove to the crash on Thursday morning.
The crash happened on Andrew Mapheto Drive in front of the St. Gamma’s primary school.
Thepa said: “It is alleged that a tipsy 33-year-old female driver, travelling from south to northerly direction, on Andrew Mapheto Drive, in a charcoal VW Jetta sedan with four passengers, somehow failed to treat a non-functional traffic light as the stop sign.
“She then knocked over a male pedestrian crossing the roadway, who landed next to the palisade fence of the primary school.”
Thepa said officers arrived at the scene to find a few patients, including the pedestrian, lying down on the side of the roadway, while some injured were still inside the vehicle.
After that, medical doctors were called to provide medical assistance.
“Medical experts were summoned to the scene and the patients were transported to different medical facilities for medical care,” she added.
She said that according to paramedics, the four passengers sustained slight injuries and were then rushed to the Thembisa clinic, “while a male passenger, who was seated on the front left seat plus a pedestrian, sustained serious injuries and were taken to the Thembisa Hospital”.
Thepa said officers then conducted a thorough inspection and detected a strong odour of liquor emanating from the driver.
Following that, a breathalyser test was immediately conducted. “The reading from the device used to determine the level of alcohol intake, came out very high, and the intoxicated motorist was handcuffed.”
A doctor summoned to the scene took a blood sample from the driver’s arm before she was escorted to the Thembisa South police station.
The woman, who is facing charges of driving while under the influence of alcohol, is expected to appear at the Thembisa Magistrate’s Court soon.
Additionally, Thepa said that her damaged car was seized and held at the Thembisa South police station for safekeeping.
IOL