Drunk driver in wrecked car tells cops ‘the car is fine’

A driver was so drunk he told police his car was ‘fine’ – while sitting at the wheel of a car that had been crashed and rolled over.

The incident – caught on camera and posted on YouTube by Sussex Police – shows an officer responding to an incident involving a crashed car on Lickfold Road in the village of Fernhurst of West Sussex on the 24th of December, 2014.

PC Andy Green begins by asking the driver, Christopher Squires, if he is okay, having noticed substantial damage to the Volkswagen Polo. The inebriated 28-year-old replies: “Yeah, not too bad mate.”

The cop then asks if any injuries have been sustained. “No I’m fine, the car is fine… I’ve had a few drinks but I’m not drunk,” he says, clearly slurring his words.

Squires tries to claim on multiple ocassions he was “just trying to turn the car around” and that it had been damaged before he drove it. He also reveals he only has a provisional licence, before attempting to lie about his identity in a last-ditch attempt to get out of trouble.

Police were easily able to ascertain his real identity. A breathalyser test, meanwhile, found he was more than twice the legal limit of 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath.

Squires pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance at Crawley Magistrates Court on January 6th. He escaped a jail sentence, but was banned from driving for 20 months and had to pay a £320 fine, £85 in costs and a £20 victim surcharge. 

Superintendent Jane Derrick said: “Squires made a series of ridiculous attempts to avoid justice. He claimed the damage to his car was old, when it clearly wasn’t. He tried to use a fake name, which we were able to quickly prove was not his own.
 
“He did not have a full driving licence but said that we were wasting his time and taxpayers’ money by arresting and questioning him. We will not tolerate drink-driving and the ban given by the magistrates shows they considered his offences to be serious as well.”

Police said 40 people have so far been convicted of drink and drug-related offences over the Christmas period in the Sussex area.

Drunk-driver without licence tries to explain why his car is wrecked