Caught over the limit on a breathalyzer test, he thought he’d solved the problem by calling his cousin to come pick him up. Too bad she also turned up behind the wheel after having had a few drinks. That was the curious double stop that played out on the Adriatic state road (Statale 16), in the Rimini area, where within just a few minutes the highway police found themselves facing two drivers from the same family who both tested positive.
It all began when a patrol from the Riccione traffic police, carrying out routine roadside checks, stopped a truck driven by a 60-year-old man living in the Rimini area. The man was given a breathalyzer test, and the result left little room for doubt: his blood alcohol level was roughly double the legal limit.
At that point the 60-year-old’s driving licence was immediately withdrawn. But the truck still had to be dealt with. Officers asked him to call someone he trusted — naturally in a fit state to drive — who could come and take charge of the vehicle.
The man phoned his 53-year-old cousin, who also lives in the Rimini area. The woman got in her car and drove to the checkpoint to help out her relative. So far, so normal. The trouble started when she too was asked to take the test: the cousin also tested positive for alcohol, with a reading even slightly higher than the 60-year-old’s.
The result: instead of collecting the truck, the 53-year-old ended up in trouble herself. Both were reported to the judicial authorities for driving under the influence.
At that point the situation turned into something like a game of snakes and ladders: with two people testing positive and two vehicles still needing to be retrieved, yet another phone call was needed. The pair then called a third relative, who this time arrived sober and was finally able to take custody of both vehicles.
The traffic police point out that even a couple of drinks at an afternoon aperitivo can weigh heavily once you get behind the wheel. Checks targeting drink-driving will continue on the roads of the Rimini area.
