May 23, 8:42 AM (ET)
By LIUDAS DAPKUS
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) - Lithuanian police were so astonished when they pulled over a truck driver and his breathalyzer test registered 18 times the legal alcohol limit, they thought their testing device must be broken. It wasn't.
Police said Tuesday 41-year-old Vidmantas Sungaila registered 7.27 grams per liter of alcohol in his blood repeatedly on different devices when he was pulled over for driving his truck down the center of a two-lane highway 60 miles from the capital, Vilnius on Saturday.
Lithuania's legal limit is 0.4 grams per liter.
"This guy should have been lying dead, but he was still driving. It must be an unofficial national record," Saulius Skvernelis, the director of the national police traffic control service, told the AP. "He was of high spirits and grinning the whole time he was questioned."
Medical experts say anything above 3.5 grams per liter of alcohol in the blood is lethal for most people.
"A person this intoxicated should be in an intensive care unit, not behind the wheel," said Tautvydas Zikaras, head of the dependence illness center in the country's second-largest city, Kaunas. Zikaras said he had never heard or read of someone being so drunk.
Sungaila, who was slapped with a 3,000 litas ($1,110) fine and the loss of his license for up to three years, told police he had been drinking the night before and tried to freshen up by downing a pint of beer for breakfast.
Lithuania has one of the worst road safety records in the European Union. Last year, 760 people died in traffic accidents in this country of 3.5 million residents. Most were alcohol-related.
Driver Has 18 Times Legal Alcohol Limit
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Driver Has 18 Times Legal Alcohol Limit
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Jimmy Durante
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Jay
My funniest <and a tad scary> overtly drunk image was when I was temporarily deployed on a Brit Naval Vessel (HMS Southampton) and four of us were downing drinks.
The chief next to me had drank about 15 bottles of John Smith, and looked three sheets to the wind.
Next thing, I hear over the 1MC, chief up for gunnery practice. So, he gets up and staggers heading out.
I'd guess his BAC was close to this guys, and he was resposnible for some sort of gunnery practice.
The chief next to me had drank about 15 bottles of John Smith, and looked three sheets to the wind.
Next thing, I hear over the 1MC, chief up for gunnery practice. So, he gets up and staggers heading out.
I'd guess his BAC was close to this guys, and he was resposnible for some sort of gunnery practice.
What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.
– C. S. Lewis
– C. S. Lewis
He was drunk. He was clearly way over the legal limit to drive. It sucks for him that he has to pay the fine (and I highly doubt he'll get imprisonment), but he did break the law. And yes, I know that the cops only took him because he didn't have the money on him to bribe... but shit he still broke the law.
For those that don't know how Malaysia works.... Drinking and driving is the normal thing to do. Other than having designated drivers (yah right!) there's no other way to do it really. Also, when you get pulled over by cops here it's customary to bribe them. It's not a big deal like it would be in the States...
For those that don't know how Malaysia works.... Drinking and driving is the normal thing to do. Other than having designated drivers (yah right!) there's no other way to do it really. Also, when you get pulled over by cops here it's customary to bribe them. It's not a big deal like it would be in the States...