Lorry driver held for drunk driving

The police cornered a driver at Maradu during the wee hours of Saturday for driving an inflammable oil tanker after consuming alcohol.

The driver was booked based on information given by local people that the driver was smoking while driving. The tanker lorry contained 12,000 litres of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) transported from BPCL Refinery, Ambalamugal, to the Thiruvananthapuram Airport. The driver is Gopakumar, 32, of Gopika Sadanam in Ayoor, Kollam. However, the police charged a case only for reckless driving, and released him on bail. According to the locals, the vehicle did not carry the details of the fuel on the tank, and flouted all the rules. But no action has been taken. “The charges may change after we examine the lorry again. For drunken driving, we will charge a case once the medical report is received,” a police official said.