KEPALA BATAS: An engineer, believed to be in a drunken stupour was nabbed by police for driving against the traffic flow at the Sungai Dua Toll Plaza, North-South Expressway heading south, earlier today.
Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) district police chief ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor said the 64-year-old had only realised he had made a mistake after driving nearly 50 km from his destination before turning around and driving against the current on the highway.
“In the 6am incident, the senior citizen was said to be driving his car from Relau, on the island to return to his hotel in Pulau Tikus. However, he was in a state of intoxication and mistakenly crossed the Penang Bridge,” he said here, today.
He said the engineer continued to drive along the highway heading north up to Tikam Batu, Kedah before realising he was going the wrong way and turned south against the current.
The action of the man was noticed by highway users who contacted the Traffic Enforcement Investigation Division’s Complaints Service Counter at the SPU district police headquarters to inform about the driver before an accident occurred.
Noorarany said the man who was driving a car against the current for about 25 km was on the right lane of the road without realising it was wrong and could cause accidents.
“Police detained the man at the Sungai Dua Toll Plaza and he claimed he was not aware of driving against the traffic flow and that he had turned back on the right direction to return to his hotel on Pulau Tikus,” he said.
Preliminary tests found that the man from Taman Bandar Senawang, Negri Sembilan was intoxicated and that further tests including urine and blood tests would be conducted.
He said the man was currently being detained under Section 42 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless driving and Section 45 (1) of the same act for driving under the influence of alcohol. - Bernama
