The sudden crash of a vehicle hitting a stationary truck and then another vehicle brought residents of Monaro Street, Merimbula out of their homes late on Saturday night, July 26.
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At about 10.45pm and police allege, while travelling at high speed, a 21-year-old Merimbula man lost control of his vehicle. The man crashed into the rear of a parked truck before colliding with the rear of another vehicle, setting off the airbags, and coming to rest.
The force of the collision pushed the truck onto its side and into the middle of Monaro Street, Acting Sergeant Darren Jones, of Merimbula Police told the News Weekly.
Eye witness reports said that the driver got out of his vehicle with injuries to his arm.
However Sergeant Jones said that when police arrived the driver was standing next to his vehicle and failed to submit to a breath test.
He was arrested and taken to Merimbula Police Station here he returned a high range reading, almost four times the legal limit.
"We are very surprised the man did not sustain a serious injury or kill himself as a result of his actions and given the damage to his vehicle. We are thankful that no one else was a victim as a result of his stupidity to get behind the wheel in the state he was in," Sergeant Jones said.
The Merimbula man was charged with high range PCA, negligent driving and failing to submit to a breath test.
"The message just doesn't seem to be getting through to some. He was lucky in this instance, but we could have easily been preparing paperwork for the Coroner," Sergeant Jones said.
The man attended Merimbula Police Station the following day where he was interviewed further.
He has a previous conviction for high range PCA and will appear before Bega Local Court September 9.
Police over the weekend were targeting recidivist drink driving offenders as part of Operation CHROME.