Drunk Driver Fined After Amwaj Restaurant Crash

TDT | Manama

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A drunk driver who smashed into another car, the glass door of a restaurant and three trees in Amwaj has been fined BD3,000 by a court, despite a high alcohol reading that can often lead to a jail term in cases of this kind.

The crash happened when the 74-year-old British man lost control of his vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. His car hit another vehicle, shunting it into a wall, then carried on into the glass door of a restaurant before striking three trees.

The crash left damage to the other car, the wall, the door and the trees. The court said the case was proved by the driver’s own statements, an alcohol test and the traffic accident report. He admitted during the investigation that he had been driving after drinking, lost control and hit the other vehicle.

Tests by the medical laboratory section at the Interior Ministry found 112 milligrams of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of his urine sample and said he was in no state to control a car properly. The reading was high, yet the court’s punishment was limited to a BD3,000 fine.

The traffic report said he was driving in Amwaj under the influence to a degree that left him unable to control the vehicle. It also found that he failed to take the care and attention required on the road, which led to the crash and the subsequent damage.

His lawyer, Taqi Hussain, asked the court to show leniency because of his health. The court found him guilty of drink-driving, causing damage to other people’s property and driving without due care and attention under Bahrain’s Traffic Law, Law No. 23 of 2014.

It ruled that the three offences were linked and should be treated as one act for sentencing, imposing a single fine of BD3,000.