Lorry driver jailed for crashing into Pagham car while over drink drive limit

50 year old Janis Rimovics has also been banned from the roads

Author: Faye TryhornPublished 11th Nov 2024

A lorry driver who crashed his vehicle in Pagham while over the alcohol limit has been jailed.

Janis Rimovics struck a parked car in Church lane back in August - when police arrived they found he was too drunk to stand.

The 50-year-old, from Station Estate Road in Feltham, will spend four months behind bars and disqualified from driving for 18 months

Following the crash, he drove off at speed into a holiday park.

He tried to reverse his vehicle out of a dead end but was unable to complete the manoeuvre, and then fell asleep in his cab.

Officers gave a breath alcohol reading of 128 microgrammes (μg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35μg of alcohol per 100ml.

Officers found empty vodka bottles inside the cab of his HGV.

Rimovics was found asleep in his lorry cab, with empty bottles of vodka discovered too

Speaking after the case, Acting Sergeant Steven Lambeth from the Roads Policing Unit said:

“Rimovics was in charge of a large lorry while more than three times the legal alcohol limit.

“He was in no fit state to drive and was barely able to stand, let alone drive a vehicle, when he arrived in custody.

“Drink-driving is one of the main reasons why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

“Rimovics posed a serious risk not only to himself, but to every other road user, he is lucky not to have caused serious harm that night.

“We are pleased that a dangerous driver has been taken off our roads.”

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