Driver five times over the limit on A64 receives ban

47-year-old Lee James Ebbutt - of Eastwood Road, Boston - received a three-year driving ban at York Magistrates Court after he was found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Author: Benjamin FearnPublished 7th Jan 2022

A man who was stopped just off the A64 near York - after members of the public spotted his van swerving across the road and suspected he might be under the influence - has received a driving ban.

Yesterday, 47-year-old Lee James Ebbutt of Eastwood Road, Boston, received a three-year driving ban at York Magistrates Court after he was found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol.

In a statement North Yorkshire Police said:

"On Friday 10 December 2021, we received a number of calls from concerned members of the public that a white van on the A64 was being driven extremely dangerously. The van was swerving across the road and at one point made contact with the central reservation.

"Quick-thinking members of the public following the van, put their hazard lights on to warn other motorists and remained behind it to help keep others safe.

"When the van left the A64 and waited at a set of traffic lights, officers from our Roads Policing Group were able to bring it to a stop.

"The driver appeared intoxicated as he had difficulty getting out of the van and walking so he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Officers also spotted a part full bottle of whisky on the passenger seat beside him.

"Ebbutt was taken into police custody where he provided two evidential samples of breath at a reading of 169mg per 100ml, nearly five times over the legal limit. He was charged with drink driving.

"Those who get behind the wheel after drinking not only pose a severe risk to themselves, but endanger the lives of many other road users too.

"We'd particularly like to thank the fast-acting members of the public who spotted Ebbutt, called the police and effectively set up a rolling roadblock to protect other drivers."

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