WILLEMSTAD – A 46-year-old motorist has been acquitted of driving under the influence after a court ruled that there was insufficient evidence to prove he had been intoxicated during a police traffic stop.
The driver, identified as A.G., appeared before the court after police accused him of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Officers had stopped him during a traffic control after observing that he appeared tired.
According to the police report, officers noted that the driver had red eyes and seemed unsteady on his feet. A small bottle of whisky was also reportedly found in the vehicle, which led officers to suspect that the driver had consumed alcohol.
However, the driver denied driving under the influence. He told the court that he had just finished work, was tired and had consumed two beers after work. He also stated that he had purchased the small bottle of whisky while on his way home.
During the traffic stop, the driver was not asked to take a breathalyzer test to measure the alcohol level in his system. As a result, no objective test result was available to determine whether he had exceeded the legal limit.
During the hearing, the public prosecutor acknowledged that the case file did not contain sufficient evidence to support the accusation. According to the prosecution, the police report did not clearly explain the specific observations that led officers to conclude that the driver was under the influence.
Because no alcohol test had been conducted and the allegation could not be proven, the prosecutor requested that the court acquit the driver. The judge agreed and cleared the man of the charge.