A TRUCK driver has been charged after allegedly being caught driving drunk behind the wheel at Uralla, south of Armidale.
About 9.10pm on Friday, Highway Patrol officers were travelling north along the New England Highway when they allegedly detected an articulated car carrier travelling above the speed limit.
The driver was stopped and spoken to before being given a breath test, which allegedly returned a positive reading.
The 42-year-old man from Upper Caboolture in Queensland was arrested and taken to Uralla Police Station, where he underwent a breath analysis and returned an alleged reading of .156.
The man will be issued with a court attendance notice for driving with high-range PCA. His driving privileges in NSW have also been suspended.
Superintendent Stuart Smith, Commander of Operations, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, said getting behind the wheel while drunk was not only irresponsible, but also dangerous.
“Drink-driving is always dangerous, but when it’s behind the wheel of a fully-laden truck travelling above the speed limit, the chances of a serious or fatal crash increase.
“There is no excuse for this type of behaviour and thankfully we have managed to take this driver off the road before something more serious happened,” Supt Smith said.
