Moment drink driver avoids drowning to death by inches

 December 18, 2023

Moment drink driver avoids drowning to death by inches after ploughing through a brick wall and onto a canal path after night out

  • Paul Pollard, 60, crashed trough a wall in Nottingham on August 19 at 3am 
  • Accidentally stepped on the accelerator when he got behind the wheel of his car 
  • Three times of the legal drink-drive limit following a boozy day watching football 

This is the horrifying moment a drunk BMW driver crashed through a wall and flipped his car upside down – landing just inches away from a canal.

Paul Pollard, 60, accidentally stepped on the accelerator pedal when he got behind the wheel of his car after a night out in Nottingham on August 19.

CCTV footage shows the motor lurch forward and crash through a wall at 3am before toppling onto the city’s canal towpath, narrowly missing a fall into the water.

Pollard, who was three times over the legal drink-drive limit, managed to scramble out of the wrecked car and amazingly avoid serious injury, before being taken into police custody. 

The Leicestershire man admitted drink-driving and driving without due care and attention. He was given a 19-month driving ban at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court. 

Paul Pollard, 60, accidentally stepped on the accelerator pedal when he got behind the wheel of his car after a night out in Nottingham on August 19

During a police interview, Pollard told officers he had gone out drinking in the city centre after watching Nottingham Forest play Sheffield United. 

Pollard had said he spent the afternoon boozing at the City Ground’s hospitality box during Forest’s 2-1 win and downed three pints of lager before driving to the Leonardo Hotel in the city where he had booked a room for the night. 

A breath test showed he had 97mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – nearly three times the legal drink-drive limit of 35mcg.

A subsequent blood sample gave a reading of 141 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80 milligrams.

Pollard, Preston Close, Kirkby Mallory, told officers he believes he fell asleep at the wheel and his foot slipped onto the accelerator.

He added he felt ‘terrible’ about the incident and regretted his decision to drink-drive.

The reckless driver was also fined £807 and told to pay a £323 surcharge and £85 costs. 

CCTV footage shows the motor lurch forward and crash through a wall at 3am before toppling onto the city’s canal towpath, narrowly missing a fall into the water.

PC Katie Bradshaw, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: ‘Pollard showed absolutely no regard for other people’s safety when he got behind the wheel while over the drink-drive limit.

‘In this case, he was parked up – but still managed to crash through a wall and onto a canal path, leaving the rear of his vehicle hanging precariously over the Nottingham Canal.

‘He is exceptionally lucky to have escaped with minor injuries.

‘This case should serve as a stark reminder to others of why drinking and driving is a very dangerous mix.

‘We want to send out the message that this kind of behaviour is totally unsafe and irresponsible and can put others at risk of very serious injury or even death.’

More than 50 drivers have been arrested in the first 10 days of a ground-breaking force-wide crackdown on drink and drug driving. 

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