An extremely drunk driving instructor has been arrested by police in Freiburg after crashing a car mid-lesson, fleeing the scene and abandoning his pupil.

Drunk driving instructor leaves pupil in traffic accident

A driving lesson ended in disaster in Freiburg after a drunk instructor caused a traffic accident and abandoned his pupil.

During the lesson, the inebriated instructor crashed into another car at a crossing, causing light injuries to his pupil and the driver of the other car. The instructor then abandoned his pupil and fled the scene, using the learner vehicle as a getaway car.

Police discover empty bottles in driving lesson car

Shortly after the instructor fled, police found him on the grounds of Freiburg University Hospital. Following a breathalyser test, he was discovered to have a blood alcohol level of 2,47 - about the equivalent of multiple bottles of spirit alcohol. 

Under German law, drivers can face fines of up to 500 euros, two points on their licence and a month-long driving ban if they are found to have a blood alcohol level over 0,05. If drivers are found to have a blood alcohol level over 1,6 they must be medically and psychologically examined.

After searching the driving instructor’s car, police found multiple empty alcohol bottles. “This is a one-off case,” reassured Peter Lob from Freiburg’s Driving Instructor Association, but made a more broad criticism that the criteria for allocating a driving instructor permit are seldom reviewed.

For the driving instructor in question, a fine in the low five-figure range is on the cards, alongside surrendering his driving licence.

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