Lorry Driver Sentenced Over Drink-Driving

Thursday, 16 January 2025 22:46

A lorry driver who was nearly five times the legal alcohol limit on the M23 has been sentenced.

Dainius Juodis drove the heavy goods vehicle on the A23 south of Crawley.

He initially failed to stop for officers who had activated blue lights.

After four miles he eventually stopped in the live lane of the M23, where he was arrested.

He had previously consumed half a bottle of vodka.

His arrest follows the rise in drink and drug driving reported in Sussex Police’s winter campaign Operation Limit, which runs from December 1 to January 1.

Drink and drug-driving remains one of the main reasons why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

Juodis, 50, formerly of Grafton Road, Worcester Park, Surrey, was charged with driving over the legal alcohol limit.

At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on January 13 he admitted the charge, and was jailed for three months.

He was further disqualified from driving for five years.

The court was told that Juodis had similar previous convictions for drink driving.

The incident happened at about 1am on Saturday, January 11.

Officers from the Tactical Firearms Unit (TFU) were on a routine patrol when they noticed the lorry swerving on the carriageway north of Pease Pottage.

Juodis failed to stop for the officers for nearly four miles until eventually stopping in a live lane on the M23 motorway.

At the roadside, he gave a positive breath test, and then later gave an even higher reading when taken to custody.

The legal alcohol limit is 35 microgrammes (uhg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath. In custody, Juodis tested positive for 172uhg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

TFU Inspector Mark Robinson said:

“This was a shocking incident, with a lorry driver found nearly five times over the legal alcohol limit.

“TFU officers had to contend with keeping the public safe while a large vehicle was failing to stop, which posed a high risk to other road users as well as to the safety of the officers.

“Juodis eventually stopped in a live lane of the motorway, which required our officers to close four lanes of the carriageway in order to safely arrest him.

“By the manner of his driving, Juodis is incredibly lucky not to have caused serious harm or a fatality on our roads.

“The incident shows our officers’ determination to catch offenders and demonstrates the professionalism of our firearms officers, who are highly trained in a variety of duties above and beyond armed response.”

In keeping with previous Operation Limit campaigns, Sussex Police will be publishing the names of some of those convicted to raise awareness and to act as a deterrent to others from committing the same offence.