Drunk driver passes out - in traffic

A drunk driver literally brought traffic to a halt after his drinking binge caused him to black out in the middle of an intersection.

He had to be carried to safety.

This is just one of the incidents that the City of Cape Town's traffic and law enforcement officials have had to contend with over the last few days.

The motorist was spotted by the City's "Ghost Squad" team when they were conducting an operation in the Table View area on Sunday (12 February 2017).

"Officers were conducting an operation focusing on illegal street racing when they came across a car that had entered the intersection of Blaauwberg and Jansen Road at around 22:00‚" the City officials said in a statement.

"They found that the driver had passed out behind the wheel‚ with an empty whiskey bottle and a second nearly empty bottle on the passenger seat.

"It took three officers to lift the unconscious driver out of the vehicle. The vehicle was obstructing traffic and had to be moved."

Officers arrested eight more drivers for drunk driving and two for reckless and negligent driving after they were caught participating in an illegal street race. They also issued fines to 63 unlicensed drivers.

"Drunk driving continues to form a large part of our operations. Despite the numerous warnings and the potentially fatal consequences‚ drivers continue to ignore the limits and put themselves and other road users at risk. The City has a zero tolerance approach to transgressors and we urge residents to work with us to ensure safer roads‚" said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security and Social Services‚ JP Smith.

Other successes by the City’s Traffic Service this past week included 96 arrests for outstanding warrants by the Automated Number Plate Recognition Unit‚ 717 warrants served‚ and 244 suspects released on a warning. An integrated taxi operation in Kuils River also resulted in the arrest of five suspects – four for outstanding warrants and one for assault. Officers also impounded 23 vehicles and issued 102 fines.

Two women's determination not to fall victim to a thief also led to an arrest.

The city explained: "In the city centre‚ two officers conducting foot patrols were approached by two women on Friday afternoon who indicated that they had spotted a man breaking into their car on the corner of Church and Bree Streets".

"The man took a cellphone and denim jacket and the two women had been following him while trying to get hold of a police officer.

"The two officers found the stolen items in the suspect’s possession and took him to the central police station where a charge of theft out of a motor vehicle was laid."