Polish Excavator Operator Arrested for Operating Drunk on Public Road

A 32‑year‑old man from Chodzież County was operating a 16‑ton Liebherr A914 excavator to clean a road shoulder in the municipality of Gołańcz, Poland. After completing work near Chojna, he began returning to Gołańcz when a patrol from the Wągrowiec traffic police stopped him.

Police measured his blood alcohol concentration at roughly 2.2 ‰. He was detained, his blood was taken for retrospective testing, and he faces criminal liability for operating a mechanical vehicle while intoxicated, as well as potential disciplinary action from his employer. The police stressed that operating any motorised vehicle on public roads requires full psychomotor fitness, attention, and the ability to react instantly to road conditions.