An intoxicated driver might do many things that tip off police and other motorists that they may be driving under the influence. Some common things that intoxicated motorists do are forgetting to turn on their headlights at night or driving in the wrong direction. They may also drive too slowly, make wider turns than necessary, take too long to respond to traffic signals, or they might hug the centerline with their tires too closely. One of these or all of the above might just tip off an officer that a driver is drunk. However, the Sacramento Bee reports on a man who went a little further by trying to light his cigarette with his burning vehicle.
On the afternoon of July 8th, an unidentified male driving a sedan rear-ended an SUV. The accident occurred at about 2:19 p.m. on Highway 80 west of Antelope Road near Citrus Heights.
The fuel line ruptured, causing fuel to leak, which was ignited in the accident.
A witness reported that the male tried to switch seats with a female passenger before officers arrived, but that wasn’t the only thing the male did that clued witnesses and officers into the fact he might have been allegedly driving while intoxicated.
Witnesses also reported the male trying to light a cigarette with the flames erupting from the wrecked vehicle. Another log report indicated that the male tried to run into the flames.
No one was injured in the accident.
Ultimately, the male admitted to being the driver. The California Highway Patrol then placed the man under arrest for suspicion of DUI.
The incident closed down the rightmost lane of Highway 80 for nearly an hour before it was reopened.
