A drink–driver who fled a scene after causing a crash was caught by a resident who chased him down – despite being BAREFOOT.
Quick-thinking Piotr Ladan, 31, launched his shoeless pursuit when he heard a loud crash while at home with his family.
He bolted after the driver and despite his lack of footwear managed to catch Lee Skinner, 32, who has now been banned for drink–driving.
Mr Ladan rushed to his front door in Plymouth, Devon, after hearing the commotion at 9.15pm on June 22.
He was greeted by a scene of carnage that saw a black Peugeot 307 crashed into a Jaguar X-type, a Peugeot 207 Sport and a lamp post.
He then saw dad-of-four Skinner, the driver of the Peugeot 307, get out of the car and run away – and shouted after him.
He said: “I shouted to him ‘Hello, are you okay’ and he looked at me and then started to run away.
“I chased him barefoot and caught up to him.
“I grabbed him from behind and told him that he wasn’t going anywhere and then I realised that he appeared very drunk.
“I could smell the alcohol and see it in his eyes.”
The father-of-two, who moved to Britain from Poland five years ago and is currently studying marketing at Plymouth University, said that two other men then came to help him.
He said: “We calmed him down and talked to him until he walked back to the car with us.
“Then the police came and handcuffed him.”
Skinner, also of Plymouth, Devon, pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court. He had 42 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35.
Prosecuting, Gareth Warden told the court that after providing a positive breath sample, Skinner said: “I’m sorry, I’ve only done it as my dad hanged himself 15 days ago.”
Skinner told the court that being disqualified from driving would mean that he would lose his job as a mobile electrician.
The father-of-four also said that his son was autistic so he drove him to regular appointments.
Chair of the bench Elizabeth Daniels banned Skinner from driving for 12 months.
He was also ordered to pay a #110 fine, #20 victim surcharge, £85 CPS costs and £150 criminal court costs.
