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Alcohol and driving are two completely contradictory concepts—like parallel lines that should never cross. A driver is never expected to have any alcohol in their system while planning to drive; it's unsafe, reckless, and morally wrong. An intoxicated driver is a danger not only to themselves but also to others on the road.
Although drunk driving has tragically taken innocent lives and caused significant property damage in the past, this hasn't deterred people from drinking before getting behind the wheel, even in the midst of traffic. The result is almost always predictable. Many times, when alcohol meets traffic, the resulting events become so memorable they remain on the internet for years. Here are ten unforgettable intersections of alcohol and traffic:
10. Drunk Driver Confidently Drove on the Wrong Side of the Road
On October 4, 2022, Dorothy Denny from Brendon, Worcestershire, England, decided to declare it 'Vodka Day.' After drinking for six straight hours, she still felt unsatisfied with her intoxication, so she made the reckless decision to drive 2.5 miles (4 km) to obtain more alcohol. In her impaired state, she ended up on the wrong side of the road and continued to drive confidently in the wrong direction.
A driver named Milani, who suspected that Denny was likely intoxicated, attempted to warn nearby motorists about the potential danger. Unfortunately, his attempt was too little, too late, as Denny collided with an innocent driver who was properly on the correct side of the road. The victim sustained a broken arm, along with bruises and whiplash injuries.
The police became involved after the crash, and Denny underwent a blood test. The results revealed that her blood alcohol concentration was 142 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood, far above the legal limit of 80 milligrams (equivalent to a 0.14 BAC, well over the 0.08 legal limit).
Despite Denny expressing remorse after the incident, it did little to change the police's decision. She was charged and later appeared in court. The victim explained that her injuries had left her temporarily unable to work and had caused her disqualification from two weightlifting competitions. Denny was handed a 20-month suspended prison sentence and was banned from driving for 10 years.
9. Drunk Man Attempted to Order Taco Bell from a Bank Teller
We've all probably used a drive-thru at some point. After all, who wants to get out of their car just to grab a quick burger or burrito? Drive-thrus have certainly saved us time (though not necessarily money). The concept of the drive-thru was first introduced in the U.S. in the 1930s and has since spread worldwide. While the idea behind the drive-thru is fairly simple, some individuals have misused it after drinking and driving.
Douglas Francisco is one such individual. On a bright afternoon, he arrived at a Florida Bank of America drive-thru and mistakenly tried to order a burrito, thinking he was at a Taco Bell. After he made his 'order,' he promptly fell asleep and had to be roused by the bank manager. The manager informed him that this was not a Taco Bell drive-thru and promptly called the police.
Francisco was so deeply asleep that the manager had to repeatedly knock on the window to wake him up. He was still slumped over the steering wheel when deputies arrived. Not only was he intoxicated, but he was also found with prescription narcotics in his possession. He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence.
8. A Drunk Man Flagged Down a Police Car Instead of a Taxi
In Santa Cruz, California, a man who had been drinking heavily turned an ordinary day for a police officer into a moment of comedic irony. Too drunk to think clearly, the man still wanted to get home. His solution? He climbed into a sheriff’s patrol car that was parked by the side of the road while the deputy was interviewing a cyclist.
Deputy Esther Beckman immediately paused her interview with the cyclist and returned to the patrol vehicle to deal with the man. She soon realized that he was far too intoxicated to comprehend his actions. The man provided an address and insisted that the deputy hurry, eager to avoid any small talk. The deputy gave him a ride, but it was not the destination he had in mind—he was taken downtown instead.
In a similar event in Northern France, a magistrate out with his children drank to the point of such inebriation that he mistook a police car for a taxi. When the officers took him to the station instead of his home, he responded by assaulting them.
7. Driver Unaware He Was Driving Without a Tire
On a Saturday night, South Yorkshire Police arrested a driver who was heavily intoxicated and driving a dilapidated silver car. The car was in poor condition, missing its headlights and one of its front tires. To make matters worse, the driver didn’t even possess a valid driver’s license, or a fake one for that matter.
As expected, the car wasn’t roadworthy, and the driver had no insurance. In a truly bizarre twist, the driver genuinely claimed he hadn’t noticed that one of his tires was missing. The police officers also discovered that he was a fugitive, having failed to appear in court for two previous offenses.
Interestingly, the South Yorkshire incident wasn’t the only case of a driver missing a tire while intoxicated in the United Kingdom in 2019. A similar occurrence took place in Cheshire in July of that year. There, one of the front wheels was completely blown out, and the driver was pursued by the police until he was stopped. He too failed an alcohol test.
6. Drunk Man Took a Joy Ride on an Excavator
Many people do foolish things while intoxicated, but hopping on an excavator for a joy ride is certainly a bit out of the ordinary. On a typical day in Illinois, deputies received an unusual call. On August 21, 2015, 31-year-old David Salinas somehow managed to get into an excavator parked in a lot. He drove it along Treasure Drive in Oswego, Illinois, leaving behind a trail of damaged phone and cable lines.
The police deputies were able to catch up with Salinas after a brief chase. When questioned, he gave an odd excuse: he was too tired to walk home and needed any ride he could get. This led him to commandeer the parked excavator. However, his explanation didn’t hold up, and he was arrested. He was charged with vehicle theft and other offenses, and his actions caused temporary disruptions to phone and cable service in the area.
A similar situation occurred in Florida, but this time the man was twice as old as David Salinas. John Kastner, aged 62, decided to take an extravagant joy ride in an excavator at a Florida scrap yard.
5. Driver Blamed Hurricane Debby for Failing DUI Test
In Citrus County, Florida, a driver was swerving dangerously between lanes, creating a hazardous situation for other drivers. Deputies quickly stopped her and discovered several open alcohol containers in her car amidst the chaos of Hurricane Debby. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officers immediately noticed the strong smell of alcohol on her breath, prompting them to perform a sobriety test right there.
She was asked to walk a straight line but failed miserably despite having several chances to get it right. Her excuse? She blamed it all on Hurricane Debby. When offered the chance to take a breathalyzer test to prove her sobriety, she stubbornly refused. However, it became clear that there was no way out for her, as it was discovered that she was driving with a suspended license.
Even if the officers had bought into her story, her suspended license would have caused enough trouble on its own. She was arrested and taken to jail. The lesson here is simple: you can’t hide behind a hurricane to get away with breaking the law.
4. Drunk Driver Ordered 200 Chicken Nuggets at a Drive-Thru Window
Kole Olsen, an Australian man, found himself in an odd situation that he later considered entirely out of character. While intoxicated, he went to a drive-thru and made a bizarre request for 200 chicken nuggets. When he was told the order couldn’t be fulfilled, he became furious and circled the drive-thru four times, repeatedly asking if his nuggets were ready yet.
When Olsen was informed that his order couldn’t be fulfilled, he repeatedly threatened to cause harm to the staff and wreak havoc on the establishment. Eventually, he settled for hash browns, which he ate in his car, but continued to create a disturbance, prompting McDonald's employees to call the police. When officers arrived, they found Olsen sitting behind the wheel, clearly intoxicated.
The case went to court, where Olsen pleaded guilty and revealed that he had sought professional help for his alcoholism, which helped him secure a reduced sentence. What's most surprising about this situation is that Olsen was actually part of an 'Alcoholics Anonymous' group at the time of the incident. He was banned from driving for nine months and fined $1,000.
3. Man Drives Lawn Mower to Buy Cigarettes to Be 'Responsible'
In the small town of Headingley in Manitoba, Canada, a man with a reputation for heavy drinking found himself in a bizarre situation. Known for his drinking, one morning, around 2:00 a.m., deputies spotted the 41-year-old man riding a John Deere lawn mower while visibly intoxicated. He had a female passenger with him on the mower.
When questioned, the man seemed oblivious to the seriousness of the situation. He argued that he was just being responsible by helping his passenger get to a nearby gas station for cigarettes, and more importantly, avoiding the use of a car. The officers weren't convinced by his 'responsible' reasoning, and he was promptly charged with driving under the influence.
A similar event unfolded in Chesterfield, Virginia, when a heavily intoxicated man decided to ride a lawn mower to a grocery store in the Richmond area. Surprisingly, the man was 62 years old at the time of the incident. As with the previous case, he insisted that he had done nothing wrong. However, he failed an alcohol test and was arrested for driving under the influence.
2. Man Found Asleep on the Road Thought He Was at Home
In New Zealand, an extremely intoxicated man was found fast asleep in the middle of the road. Ironically, the location where he was found was just a short distance from his home. Police discovered him at 4:45 a.m. on a Saturday morning. When the police woke him, he was shocked to realize he was not at home as he had believed.
What makes this story even more strange is that the man had been out drinking on Friday night and purposely chose to rest in a nearby spot to avoid becoming a news story the next morning. Ironically, he still made the news. The man was fortunate that no vehicles ran him over before the authorities arrived. He was given a stern warning that excessive drinking offers no benefits and only increases risk.
In a similar scenario in Canada, a man was found asleep in his vehicle at an intersection in Burnaby, prompting a police intervention. Although the key was in the ignition, he was too intoxicated to do anything further. Those who initially called the police thought he was unconscious but later learned he was simply impaired by alcohol. The man was suspended from driving for 90 days, but his appeal was unsuccessful.
1. Man Drove onto a Dance Floor in a Revenge Attack
Mohammed Abdul, a 21-year-old clubber, found himself at Blake Nightclub in Gravesend, Kent, England, one fateful night, looking to have some fun. However, his night took a disastrous turn when he consumed one drink too many. In total, he drank 15 vodkas mixed with cokes and tequila shots, alongside excessive smoking. The alcohol took hold of him, and the bouncers decided he was too intoxicated to stay.
As the bouncers attempted to escort him out, Abdul threatened them with consequences, but his warnings were not taken seriously. Instead of taking a cab home, he returned to the club in a stolen vehicle, driven by his desire for revenge. His goal was to wreak havoc on those who had humiliated him, and he targeted the dance floor, possibly intending to hurt the bouncers who had thrown him out.
The aftermath of Abdul's reckless act left ten people injured, requiring emergency medical attention. Miraculously, no lives were lost, thanks to the courage of the door staff, who managed to push and pull people out of the way of the oncoming vehicle. The incident led to Abdul facing justice in court, where he was convicted of two counts of attempted murder and sentenced to two 28-year prison terms.
