Suspected drink driver 'asleep' before crashing lorry on A1 near Wetherby

A man has been charged with drink driving after allegedly crashing a lorry while asleep at the wheel on the A1 in North Yorkshire.

The incident happened at round 10.25pm on Friday, 28 January, when North Yorkshire Police received reports of a HGV which had crashed into the central reservation on the southbound carriageway near Wetherby Services.

A police spokesperson said: "When we arrived, we found the driver had reportedly fallen asleep at the wheel and collided with the barrier in the middle of the carriageways.

"Thankfully, no one was injured but upon taking a roadside breath test, the driver was found to be more than double the drink drive limit."

The lorry blocked two lanes of the motorway, so police and Highways England managed traffic past the scene during a recovery operation. The lorry was removed at around 1am on Saturday.

The 25-year-old driver, from Cahersiveen, Ireland, was arrested and later charged with drink driving. He will appear at court in February.