Wine-carrying HGV driver admits dangerous driving on A14 while drunk

Bulgarian Dimitar Kamov appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court via a video link from Martlesham Police Investigation Centre.

In addition to dangerous driving, the 38-year-old also pleaded guilty to drink-driving on a stretch of carriageway between Bury St Edmunds and Newmarket.

It took nearly 20 minutes for police to stop Kamov’s lorry from the time officers received the initial report from a taxi driver to when they managed to get the trucker to pull over into a layby.

A bottle of vodka was said to have been found in Kamov’s cab which smelled heavily of alcohol.

The incident began just before 5.50pm last Sunday near the sugar beet factory on the outskirts of Bury St Edmunds.

The taxi driver contacted police telling them he had tried to overtake the HGV, when it slowly moved across from its lane on the Newmarket-bound carriageway. The manoeuvre caused the taxi driver to brake sharply.

He then remained behind the lorry, which had a 20ft trailer and continued to drive erratically.

Other motorists were also held up behind the lorry and police received further calls about the manner in which it was being driven.

Police were able to get in front of the HGV when the A14 changed into three lanes and managed to get Kamov to stop at a layby near Kentford at around 6.05pm.

Kamov is understood to have picked his load up from a depot in Bury St Edmunds and was said to have been taking the 31-tonne consignment to the north of England.

Suffolk Constabulary said Kamov was charged with drink-driving and dangerous driving after a breath test showed he had 107 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35mcgs.

A Bulgarian interpreter translated proceedings at the magistrates court to Kamov.

After entering his guilty pleas his case was sent to Ipswich Crown Court for sentencing on a date to be fixed.

Kamov was then remanded into custody.