Drunk driver tracked by Wiltshire police dog
PD Chiko find motorist who'd fled a crash on the A338
A drunk driver, who had abandoned her crashed car on the A338 near Britford, was tracked down in the early hours this morning (Sat 13 Feb) thanks to Police Dog Chiko and his handler.
Shortly after 1am Police were called to reports of a Ford Focus that had smashed into a road sign along the A338 dual carriageway at Britford.
The car had a broken window and damage to the passenger side, and a witness told officers that the peopkle in the vehicle had fled the scene.
POLICE DOG CHIKO
A search was carried out by local officers supported by specialist firearms and dog units which were patrolling in the area. PD Chiko, who is trained to follow human scent. was set by his handler to track the occupants of the vehicle, following the trail over a field.
The team quickly located found the driver beside a road and a passenger who was hiding in a nearby garden.
DRUNK DRIVER NABBED
A roadside breath test showed the female driver, in her 50s, was over the drink drive limit and was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle whilst over the prescribed limit of alcohol. She was taken to Salisbury District Hospital as a precautionary measure, having been involved in a road traffic collision.
Salisbury's Inspector Pete Sparrow said:
"This is a great example of a skilful and timely response by our officers who were patrolling in the area. They worked together to rapidly identify those involved. This should hopefully provide further reassurance to the public that we are robustly targeting those who flout with law with all the resources at our disposal."