We can add another feat to the ever-growing annals of impressive yet wildly irresponsible and dangerous things people have done that deserve a round of applause followed by a swift and stern punishment to ensure it never happens again. In this case, as the BBC reports, a blind guy allegedly got drunk and then went on a 150-mile drive in which, miraculously, no one got hurt.
Two-year-old Anthony Hall drove his partner’s Vauxhall Meriva from Huddersfield toward Scotland. Two years prior, Hall had been declared legally blind, though he could still make out the taillights of the car ahead of him. It was also the dead of night; he had been drinking, and to add a little dusting of irresponsibility on top, he also had no driver’s license and no insurance.
Legally Blind Man Arrested After Alleged 150-Mile Drive While Intoxicated
Police eventually spotted him swerving between lanes and onto a hard shoulder on the M6 near Carlisle at around 1:45 AM. The officers, who, from the sound of it, were halfway impressed, asked how he managed to get that far, given that the only missing restriction that would make this even more impressive is if he had no arms to steer.
Hall explained that he could still see the rear lights of a large commercial truck in front of him. So he wasn’t all the way blind, but let’s keep in mind that driving laws typically require having something close to actual vision.
Paul’s breath test registered 50 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters, which is above England and Wales legal limit of 35. There is no mystery as to why it was so high. He said he and his partner had drunk four bottles of wine before he took the car without permission in an attempt to flee his home life, his relationship, and his financial troubles.
He plans to keep driving until he hits Scotland, though if he had been pulled over, he likely would’ve hit a car, a tree, or the bottom of a cliff.
Paul has been sentenced to 36 weeks in prison, but the sentence was suspended for 18 months. He has to complete rehabilitation and abstain from alcohol for 90 days. He was also banned from driving for a year, despite never having had a license in the first place. He was ordered to pay a £272 fine.
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