In the early morning hours of June 29, when English officers patrolling the M6 motorway near Carlisle noticed an Opel Meriva swerving chaotically from one lane to the next, they thought they had caught a reckless motorist, but they were in for a big surprise. Not only was the driver visibly drunk, but he had no driver’s license and was almost completely blind!
At a recent hearing, Anthony Hall admitted to drink-driving, driving without a licence or insurance and taking his partner’s car without their consent. His lawyer told the judge that Hall had acted out of desperation, trying to escape a difficult personal situation, including relationship issues and financial problems. However, that did little to explain why a blind person would get behind the wheel of a vehicle and drive on the motorway while intoxicated.
Hall explained that he had decided to drive to Scotland to escape his woes after drinking four bottles of wine with his partner. Despite never having owned a driver’s license, he had worked around cars for most of his life, so he knew how to drive. The fact that he had lost his vision almost completely two years ago didn’t seem to dissuade him from his decision.
A police report mentioned that while driving on the M6 motorway, the blind man had even stopped at a gas station to refuel and was aided by the staff there, but no one reported his intoxicated state or obvious lack of vision.
In case you’re wondering how a blind man could drive 150 miles (241 kilometers) on a highway, at night, while drunk, you’re not the only one. Hall explained that he could still faintly see lights, so he just stayed behind a large truck, following its taillights. However, he had problems keeping his car steady, as police noticed him swerving between lanes and into the hard shoulder.
It’s nothing short of a miracle that Hall didn’t cause a car accident, but he was still sentenced to 36 weeks in prison, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to stay sober for 90 days and get into a rehabilitation program. We’d say he got off easy!
