Watch as drunk-driver swerves across M1 before falling asleep at the wheel
Watch the moment a driver fell asleep at the wheel while on the M1
A drink driver was found slumped fast asleep at the wheel after swerving across the lanes of the M1.
Police have released dashcam and body worn camera footage of Jamie Barrett’s dangerous driving as a reminder to others of the potentially fatal consequences of getting behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.
The 30-year-old was seen driving dangerously as he headed north in a black Ford van, between junctions 25 and 26, at one point veering all the way from lanes one to four.
A concerned witness, who reported what he saw to the police, said Barrett’s erratic driving was as though he was shaking his steering wheel quickly from left to right.
Barrett narrowly missed other vehicles on the busy route and damage caused to the van suggested he had crashed into the motorway barriers as he was driving.
The van eventually came to a stop in the live lane one, within the Nottinghamshire force area, after running out of fuel.
Barrett was slumped behind the wheel. He was awoken by officers and began to speak incoherently and his speech was slurred.
Barrett, of Lincoln Road, Faldingworth, Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, was arrested on the afternoon of 14 September 2023 following a roadside breath test.
In custody, he then provided a sample of 84 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
He was subsequently charged and pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving over the legal alcohol limit.
He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on 3 October 2023 where he was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
He was also banned from driving for 12 months and ordered to carry out 180 hours’ unpaid work.
Sergeant Louis Jamieson, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Barrett was driving on a busy motorway whilst under the influence of alcohol. It was more luck than anything else that no-one was injured, the consequences don't bare thinking about.
“This case serves as a stark reminder that those who drink and drive are never in control of their vehicle and are selfishly putting the lives of other road users at risk.
“Nottinghamshire Police takes offences like this very seriously and we will continue to do everything in our power to take people like Barrett off our roads.
“I also hope this case serves as a warning to others that if you've taken drugs or alcohol and you get behind the wheel, there's a high chance that we will catch you."