Two drivers were stopped in Novi Zagreb on Friday while under the influence of alcohol. Both were arrested, taken to the misdemeanor court, and sentenced to suspended prison terms and driving bans.
Police officers in Novi Zagreb had their hands full with reckless drivers on Friday. In two separate incidents, within just three hours, they stopped drivers who got behind the wheel with more than two promille of alcohol in their blood. Both cases ended up before the competent misdemeanor court.
The first case occurred around 8:10 PM at the intersection of Mrkšina and Horvatova streets. During routine traffic surveillance, the police stopped a passenger car with Zagreb license plates driven by a 47-year-old. A breathalyzer test revealed he was driving with 2.11 promille of alcohol in his system.
The driver was immediately arrested and taken to the misdemeanor court. In the indictment proposal, the police sought a fine of €2,650 and a three-month driving ban for him.
Just three hours later, at around 11:10 PM, police officers stopped another passenger car with Zagreb plates on Svetoklarska Street at house number 17. Behind the wheel was a 30-year-old driver. His breathalyzer test also showed a high alcohol concentration of 2.03 promille.
This driver was also arrested and brought before the competent misdemeanor court. The police proposed an identical penalty for him: €2,650 and a three-month driving ban.
The misdemeanor court found both drivers guilty. Although the police had proposed fines, the court sentenced both to 10 days in prison. However, the sentence is suspended, with a probation period of six months. This means the prison sentence will not be enforced if they do not commit a new offense during that period.
In addition to the suspended prison sentence, both drivers were also banned from driving motor vehicles for one month, which is significantly shorter than the three months requested by the police.
