The moment a transporter driver was apprehended by cops after being reported for snorting cocaine behind the wheel was captured on video.
Traffic Cops film crews followed North Yorkshire Police as they made a series of arrests. The hour-long programme aired on Monday, February 6 at 8 p.m. The docu-series depicted the driver being arrested twice for the same offence, the first time after driving over 1,000 miles in a single day.
When York Force Control received information about the unnamed driver, they learned that he had sniffed ‘white powder’ before getting into the lorry and driving away.
Rich Ellis and Rich Clarke, both traffic officers, pursued the vehicle. “We respond regularly to tip offs from members of the public, people who despise drink and drug drivers,” they said. They are a hazard to society as well as to road users and themselves.”
The driver was driving a three-tonne transporter and was “driving all over the road” and speeding, according to police. When officers signalled for him to pull over, he initially did not, and officers had to pursue him.
When officers finally got him to pull over, they discovered he’d driven over 1,000 miles that day. He had a positive cocaine test.
When the result was positive, the driver exclaimed, “Give up! Are you having a p***?” He then denied taking cocaine that day before admitting to having done so in the previous 20 days.
A few days later, he was seen driving near Leeds, and it was reported that he had sniffed cocaine with a £5 note before driving away in a lorry.
When I hear reports of someone snorting cocaine and driving a lorry, my initial thoughts are of panic and horror,” said TC Matt Harvey, one of the arresting officers.
“It’s bad enough snorting cocaine while driving any vehicle, but snorting cocaine while driving a van or a large lorry has massive consequences if that vehicle is then involved in an accident due to its size.”
They pursued the lorry driver, whom they claimed had been veering all over the road. “This is ridiculous,” the driver said after cops pulled him over a second time and found him to be high on cocaine.
He was charged with drug driving and disqualified for a year after allegedly snorting cocaine and testing positive for cocaine twice while driving in a week. He was also ordered to pay over £200 in fines and costs.
