Hit and run

Drunk driver left a trail of devastation behind him

Several hours after the accident, a breathalyzer test showed a blood alcohol level of 0.78 per mille (symbolic image).(Bild: APA/Georg Hochmuth (Symbolbild))

A 32-year-old vacation guest kept the emergency services on their toes in Montafon on Saturday night. The heavily intoxicated man first crashed his car into a tree and then fled.

At around 10.30 pm, the police were informed by several witnesses that a traffic accident had occurred in the middle of Schruns. Once on the scene, the officers discovered several vehicle parts near the church square and an oil slick across the road. A tree had also been badly damaged - a vehicle had obviously crashed into the trunk. However, there was no trace of the car involved in the accident, so the driver had apparently committed a hit-and-run.

Oil spill led to hotel
However, the police quickly picked up the trail. A witness had reported that a battered car had driven along Außerlitzstraße in the direction of a hotel. And indeed, the trail of oil led to a hotel. The officers finally discovered the completely demolished car in the hotel's own parking lot.

Drunk driver did not respond to knocking
Further investigations revealed that the vehicle owner was staying at the hotel. However, he ignored the repeated knocks on his room door. The man was not found until the next morning. He confessed to having caused the accident. An immediate breathalyzer test revealed a blood alcohol level of 0.78 per mille - the 32-year-old was probably drunk as a skunk at the time of the accident. He was charged with hit-and-run and driving under the influence of alcohol.

The local fire department also had a lot to do. Around 30 firefighters had to be deployed to clear up the mile-long oil slick.