Video shows passed out Pinetown driver

2013-02-06 11:30

(File) (Shutterstock)

 Cape Town - A man from Pinetown made headlines when a video clip showed him seemingly passed out behind the wheel of a car with a beer in his hand, a report by The Mercury said on Wednesday.

"The driver had passed out," Wesley Adams, who came across the scene, told The Mercury.

"He had a can of beer in his hand. There was a bottle of beer in the passenger seat and his cellphone," said Adams.

Adams drove past the car on Monday afternoon when he saw the driver asleep in his car.

He then flagged down a police vehicle and asked the officer dressed in civilian clothing for assistance.

"The engine was still running, so I tried to remove the keys, but I struggled because I am not familiar with automatic cars,” he said.

Arguments

Adams told The Mercury he asked the policeman to help the man out of the car and detain him.

An argument soon ensured when he began shouting at the policeman to act.

"The policeman had no idea what to do. I dialled 10111 on my phone and gave it to him," said Adams.

While the policeman spoke on the phone to officials, the car started rolling toward oncoming traffic.

"I quickly jumped through the passenger window and pulled up the handbrake. The driver woke up. I shouted at the cop to pull him out and immobilise him, but the driver drove off, leaving the cop bewildered," Adams said. "There was no car chase, no interest in pursuit by the policeman."

Police spokesperson Colonel Vincent Mdunge told the Witness Pinetown police had no record of the incident.

"It is very vague. Witnesses must make statements to the police. You can’t make such serious allegations and be faceless," he said.

Photographs of the incident were submitted to Mdunge and Adams said he would be willing to provide details.

The driver could not be reached for comment.