Drunk taxi driver arrested in Benoni while transporting church congregants

The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) arrested a taxi driver who was allegedly drunk, while transporting a group of church members.

EMPD spokesperson, Lerato Nonyane said the 52-year-old man was driving a Toyota Quantum minibus.

“The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department’s Benoni precinct officers in conjunction with other precincts conducted a drunk and driving operation, and a stop and search operation and one male suspect was arrested in the Benoni area,” said Nonyane.

“The EMPD officers, while conducting the operation, came across a minibus that was driving recklessly on the road. The driver was stopped, and the minibus was full of church members who alleged that they had hired the taxi driver to transport them to and from church.”

Police officers noticed that the taxi driver was struggling to stand up straight when he disembarked from the minibus.

The seemingly intoxicated driver disembarked from the vehicle when police requested his license.

The driver’s speech, according to the EMPD, was also incoherent and there was “a strong odour of alcohol” oozing from the driver.

“The officers used a breatherlyser and he was over the legal limit,” said Nonyane.

The suspect was taken to the nearest medical facility for blood samples to be collected, and thereafter he was taken to the Benoni police station.

Last year, IOL reported that members of the EMPD arrested two men who were travelling in an Isuzu KB bakkie, for driving under the influence of alcohol, in the Thembisa area.

The two men were travelling in the same vehicle when they were arrested at a roadblock.

Trouble started for the duo when they were stopped at a routine roadblock, and after the arrest of the intoxicated driver, the passenger hopped onto the driver’s seat hoping to continue with the journey.

He was also stopped and arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL