In Leuven, a drunken driver switched seats with his passenger while being pursued by a police vehicle.
According to Leuven local police, the passenger only had a provisional driving licence, which prohibited him from night-time driving on weekends.
Police spokesperson Marc Vranckx stated that an unmarked police vehicle noticed a car exceeding 30 km/h early on Sunday morning in Minderbroederstraat. Officers followed the car and activated their blue lights on Koning Boudewijnlaan to signal the driver to pull over. The vehicle swerved several times before finally stopping on the hard shoulder.
The driver was a 19-year-old man from Boutersem, but the driver’s seat was unusually far back considering his height. A 21-year-old man from Tienen was in the passenger seat, but neither had a driving licence or identification on them.
“The driver failed a breathalyser test,” the police continued. He was taken to the station, where it was revealed that the teenager only held a provisional licence, prohibiting him from driving at night on weekends. During processing, the teenager claimed he had not been driving; it was his passenger who had been behind the wheel. They swapped seats while driving because the man from Tienen had consumed too much alcohol.
A review of the cameras confirmed this account, the police spokesperson added: “The man from Tienen arrived at the station to pick up his friend. He also failed an alcohol test and had to temporarily surrender his driving licence. Both individuals will later have to explain themselves before a traffic court.”
