Amazon Driver Jailed for Drink Driving Incident on Slip Road

An Amazon van operator has been incarcerated following an incident where he drove under the influence of alcohol, proceeding in the incorrect direction on a slip road and colliding with vehicles and individuals. Adrian Dumitrache was identified as the driver. He had been operating on the A34 southbound in Oxfordshire when he diverted onto a slip road intended for vehicles to join the active dual carriageway. After striking several cars, two men attempted to restrain his van, but he proceeded to drive off, with one of the men still clinging to the vehicle. The 36-year-old individual, a resident of Derby, admitted guilt to charges of causing serious injury through dangerous driving and operating a vehicle while exceeding the legal alcohol limit. He received a sentence of two years and 10 months in prison. Additionally, at the sentencing hearing held at Oxford Crown Court, he was prohibited from driving for a period exceeding four years. According to Thames Valley Police, the incident occurred around 11:45 BST on 21 June, when Dumitrache was operating an Amazon van on the A34 close to the Wendlebury Interchange, prior to taking the wrong exit up the slip road. After colliding with multiple vehicles, a man in his fifties approached Dumitrache and subsequently held onto the van as it began to move. The man sustained a broken leg while successfully extracting the keys from the van’s ignition, which caused the vehicle to stop. PC Harry Welch, the investigating officer for Thames Valley Police, stated: “I hope this sentence deters anyone thinking they can get behind the wheel whilst over the limit.“He [Dumitrache] seriously injured someone and put other lives in danger and I am glad that he has been convicted.” Amazon provided a statement to the BBC, saying: “This was appalling behaviour. We have very high standards for our delivery service providers and our delivery partner supported the police investigation.”The driver was permanently prevented from delivering Amazon parcels as soon as we were made aware of this incident.” Further information was provided regarding following BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites and advises reading about its approach to external linking.