Empty vodka bottle in crashed car

Gardaí are hunting for a suspected drink driver after they found an empty vodka bottle in a car which was left abandoned after it struck a wall.

They posted photographs of the car, with its airbags deployed and the vodka bottle resting on the driver’s seat, on the Garda Southern Division Facebook page, and said the photographs “told their own story”.

The incident occurred in the village of Ardfert near Tralee, Co Kerry, some time before 11pm on New Year’s Eve. It is understood that while gardaí have identified the registered owner of the Renault Scenic car, they do not believe the owner was driving it at the time.

Gardaí from Tralee responded to the incident and found the car abandoned after it had apparently struck a wall. The driver, a male, was the sole occupant and had fled by the time gardaí arrived. He did not appear to have been injured.

However, witnesses told gardaí the driver allegedly appeared intoxicated as he was leaving the scene.

Gardaí have impounded the 14-year-old vehicle and appealed for anyone with information to contact Tralee Garda station on 066 7102300.

Provisional figures indicate that since December 1, there has been a 34% rise in the number of arrests of drivers suspected of drink driving compared to the same period in 2015, with 738 arrested during this year’s campaign compared to 549 in 2015. On Christmas Day alone, 14 motorists were arrested on suspicion of drink driving.