A 35-year-old man from Hong Kong – working in Macau as a designer – is suspected of crashing his car while under the influence of alcohol. The suspect fled the scene of the accident, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) stated yesterday during the regular joint police forces press conference.
According to the PSP’s report, the police were informed around 3 a.m. on December 31 that a car had crashed into road barriers located at Estrada Flor de Lotus in Cotai.
After the accident, the driver is said to have reversed his car and driven away to dodge culpability.
The authorities noted 32 water-filled barriers were damaged, along with three signs and 10 reflective traffic cones on site.
An hour into their search, officers found the car parked at the Rua Marginal da Concordia just a few hundred meters from the crash site. The front end of the car was damaged, and there were traces of paint and debris indicating its contact with the plastic barriers and traffic cones.
The police searched the car for proof of ownership, and found that the owner was a woman addressed to a neighboring condominium.
Upon questioning, the woman said that she had not driven the car that day, and claimed that her husband had been driving.
While questioning the husband, the police noticed an intense alcohol smell from him. They performed a breathalyzer test, which revealed that the man had a blood-alcohol concentration of 1.34grams per liter – almost three times the legal maximum of 0.5g/L when driving.
The suspect admitted to the police of being involved in the crash. He said that the accident occurred because he fell asleep while driving home, and claimed that he had not consumed any alcohol at that time.
He also said that he did not believe he had to notify the authorities, as he did not regard the crash as significant. He observed that it did not involve any other vehicles or people, and there was only minor damage to the car itself.
He also justified the breathalyzer test result by stating that he had consumed three cans of beer immediately after arriving home, and immediately before the police’s questioning.
The PSP says that, nevertheless, there was enough evidence to demonstrate that his excuses were not credible.
The police have passed on the case to the Public Prosecution Office, where the man is to be accused of driving under the influence of alcohol, causing an accident, and fleeing the scene.
