A doctor and three nurses were among 66 motorists arrested on the weekend in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, for drunk driving, drawing condemnation from Transport & Human Settlements MEC Siboniso Duma.
TimesLIVE reports that the doctor has been charged with escaping from lawful detention and faces a fine or six to 10 years behind bars if found guilty. A police officer from Port Shepstone police station was also charged with escaping from lawful detention.
Duma said: “In particular, health professionals, through their conduct, should display incredible understanding of the burden on our health system caused by alcohol-related road accidents.”
He added that the total number of drunk and driving arrests since 15 August now stands at 399, and that more than 60% of trauma cases are linked to horrific road accidents.
For the 2022/23 financial year, the Road Accident Fund (RAF) had paid out R22bn in loss of income claims, he noted.
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