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๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ผ Taiwan /Crime & Justice

Drunk driver runs red light, drives wrong way, fails breathalyzer after drinking soda

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • A drunk driver in Taoyuan, Taiwan, ran a red light and drove the wrong way.
  • He attempted to lower his blood alcohol level by drinking soda before a breathalyzer test.
  • The driver was arrested for drunk driving after his blood alcohol content exceeded the legal limit.

A 40-year-old man in Taoyuan, Taiwan, was apprehended for drunk driving after running a red light and driving against traffic. The incident occurred on Minquan Road and Fuxing Road intersection in Taoyuan District on the evening of August 19.

Officers from the Wuling Police Station stopped the motorcyclist, identified by his surname Wu, who admitted to drinking before driving. In an unusual attempt to circumvent the breathalyzer test, Wu chugged half a bottle of soda, hoping to reduce his blood alcohol concentration. However, his efforts were futile as his breathalyzer reading was 0.38MG/L, significantly above the legal limit.

He asked the police for some time before the breathalyzer test, but unexpectedly drank half a bottle of soda. The result was ineffective, and he was still held accountable for exceeding the legal blood alcohol limit.

โ€” PoliceThe police described the driver's attempt to lower his blood alcohol level with soda and its failure.

Wu claimed he was in a hurry to meet friends, which led to his reckless driving and subsequent stop by the police. While he expressed regret, the consequences were unavoidable. The police were conducting a "National Synchronized Expanded Operation to Crack Down on Drug and Drunk Driving" at the time, deploying 60 officers and setting up checkpoints on major roads.

This operation aims to prevent drug and drunk driving incidents. So far this year, police have reported 266 cases of drug driving and 581 cases of drunk driving, demonstrating their commitment to combating dangerous driving behaviors. Wu has been sent for prosecution on charges of endangering public safety.

I was in a hurry to find my friends, so I violated the red light and drove the wrong way, which led to the police stopping me. Although I regret it, it's too late.

โ€” WuThe driver explained his reasons for the traffic violations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.