(VitalNews.org) – A Nebraska man called 911 to report a dangerous driver traveling on the wrong side of the road. Dispatchers sent police to the scene on Highway 77 where they found a vehicle going the wrong way, just as the caller reported. When they pulled the car over and began to question the man, they quickly realized that he was both the caller and the suspect.
Bodycam footage released to the public shows the police officer asking the man if he was the one who reported the dangerous driver. The man confirmed that he had called about someone driving the wrong way who he claimed had nearly run him off the road. The officer then explained that he was in fact the driver in the wrong lane, and that he had effectively reported himself to the authorities.
The Sheriff’s Deputies suspected the man of being intoxicated and performed a breathalyzer test, which confirmed their suspicions. The unnamed driver had in fact drunk twice the legal limit and was deemed to be in an unfit state to drive. The legal limit for blood alcohol content in Nebraska is 0.08% for drivers over the age of 21, or 0.02% for younger drivers.
The Lancaster County’s Sheriff’s Office whose deputies carried out the unusual stop have released the footage as a warning to any drivers tempted to drink and drive. The Sheriff’s Office made a statement explaining that driver impairment, such as through alcohol or drugs, is the leading cause of vehicular related injury and death. The Sheriff’s Officer added that they were all grateful that their Deputies were able to pull this particular driver over before there were any injuries. The statement comes as part of a nation-wide campaign to discourage people from taking drugs or drinking alcohol before driving. It is estimated that drunk driving results in 37 deaths each day in the United States, with over 13,000 people losing their lives in 2021 alone.
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