Response officers and a police dog handler combined to arrest a suspect after a van collided with multiple vehicles.
The individual was tracked down within minutes of police attending the scene of a crash in Southwell on Monday (1 April).
A van was found abandoned in the middle of the road with the keys still in the ignition – having hit a car that it was still embedded in.
Significant damage was caused to that vehicle along with another parked van in Halam Road, Southwell, while glass was strewn all over the road.
After arriving at the scene of the collision, which was reported around 2.45am, response and Operational Support officers also discovered damage to two other cars in Halam and Farnsfield.
Searches of the nearby area then resulted in a police dog handler discovering a man in Lower Kirklington Road who they suspected was the driver of the abandoned van, which was registered to someone else.
With officers believing the individual was under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they were made to complete a roadside breathalyser test, which they failed.
The 27-year-old man was subsequently arrested on suspicion of drink-driving, drug-driving, theft of a vehicle and failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic collision.
Inspector Gina Boothby, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“This incident should serve as a warning to anyone thinking of getting behind the wheel while under the influence about just how dangerous this is.
“A van was found abandoned in the middle of the road by our officers, having quite clearly collided with two vehicles there, while we suspect it’d also caused damage to two other cars nearby as well.
“Thankfully, each of these stationary vehicles were empty when this happened, so nobody sustained any injuries.
“Our officers did a great job in responding to this incident so quickly and locating a suspect nearby, who has subsequently been arrested for a range of offences.”
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