A suspected drink driver who abandoned her crashed vehicle on the A338 was tracked down in the early hours this morning thanks to police dog (PD) Chiko.
Shortly after 1am, officers responded to reports of a Ford Focus car that appeared to have crashed into a road sign beside the A338 dual carriageway at Britford, near Salisbury.
The vehicle had a broken window and damage to the passenger side. A witness told officers that the occupants of the vehicle had fled the scene.
A search was carried out by local officers supported by specialist firearms and dog units which were patrolling in the area. PD Chiko, who is trained to follow human scent. was set by his handler to track the occupants of the vehicle, following the trail over a field.
The driver was found beside a road and a passenger was found hiding in a garden.
A roadside breath test indicated that the female driver, in her 50s, had exceeded the drink-drive limit and she was arrested on suspicion of driving a motor vehicle whilst over the prescribed limit of alcohol. She was taken to Salisbury District Hospital as a precautionary measure, having been involved in a road traffic collision.
Inspector Pete Sparrow said: “This is a great example of a skilful and timely response by our officers who were patrolling in the area. They worked together to rapidly identify those involved.
“This should hopefully provide further reassurance to the public that we are robustly targeting those who flout with law with all the resources at our disposal.”
