A lorry driver who drove the wrong way along the motorway drunk on home-made plum brandy and beer has been jailed after admitting his driving was “dangerous to the max”.
Pal Korbely, a Hungarian national, drove south on the northbound carriageway of the M6 for 10 miles with his headlights off.
Birmingham Crown Court heard he only stopped when three other lorries formed a barrier across the road to block his path.
CCTV footage of his driving shows other motorists, including cars, lorries and a petrol tanker, swerving to avoid him.
Judge Paul Farrer QC said:
It is little more than good fortune that nobody was killed or seriously injured.
Phillip Bradley, prosecuting, said Korbely told police he had spent the afternoon drinking beer and brandy which was 51% proof with two other drivers at Hilton Park service station in Staffordshire.
Mr Bradley said:
He had no recollection of driving…he said (in police interviews) that his driving was dangerous to the max and he asked whether or not he had killed anyone.
Korbely was sentenced to eight months imprisonment for dangerous driving and three months for driving with excess alcohol, to run concurrently. He had admitted both charges at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on July 9.
Just been on our news, the judge awarded £200 each to the lorry drivers who blocked the motorway.If I met the driver I would of knocked him around the hard shoulder for a few minutes, f##king cretin
I have to applaude the actions of those three drivers, taking him on like that. Facing him cab to cab was a brave move and I think the judge was spot on in giving the three a reward.
The Hungarian got of lightly, we wouldn’t be so lucky in Europe !
Wermy:
I have to applaude the actions of those three drivers, taking him on like that. Facing him cab to cab was a brave move and I think the judge was spot on in giving the three a reward.
The Hungarian got of lightly, we wouldn’t be so lucky in Europe !
IMHO, the reward was nowhere near enough for what they did
Disgraceful! He didn’t even have his lights on. Seriously though, excellent coordination by the truck drivers there to prevent some horrendous carnage. I too speculate over the circumstances:- relatively low blood/breath alcohol reading if he’d been drinking all afternoon though I doubt it was a suicide bid.
