The truth did not free him.
A California motorist was arrested hours after New Year's at a traffic stop after telling a police officer that he had not been “driving under the influence” that night, but in an apparent gaffe. This was revealed according to body camera footage.
The male driver, whose identity has not been released by authorities, was cited for drunk driving by Murrieta police last Wednesday after he struggled to find the right words and stumbled through a field sobriety test. He was charged with a crime, all of which was recorded on tape.
According to the paper, as part of a DUI investigation, a police officer asked the suspect to pull over and asked where he was coming from, to which the driver foolishly replied, “I'm driving drunk tonight, so I'm sending a friend over.'' “That's all,” he reportedly replied. Video posted on Social media by department.
“Are you the drunk driver tonight?” the officer asked skeptically.
“Yes, I am,” the driver answered without thinking.
“You mean DD?” the officer asked, using the acronym for designated driver, but the driver was speechless.
Officials say the driver appears to have crossed the road on his way to the stop.
As the traffic stop progressed, police said the driver admitted to drinking alcohol, including “drinking beer and champagne several hours ago.”
He also appeared unsteady when attempting to complete a field sobriety test, which authorities said he ultimately failed.
After an officer is heard on video telling the suspected impaired driver that he needs to be arrested, the driver makes a brief protest, claiming he has two minutes left to his destination.
And when I asked if he knew a phone number to call someone, he seemed to get the phrase wrong again.
“I'm not offended,” he said, according to the footage.
