Andre Vrona, 43, of Plain Pond, Wiveliscombe, has been disqualified from driving after being caught nearly four times over the legal alcohol limit in Somerset.
On July 7, Vrona was driving a Volkswagen Golf along the A358 in Henlade, near Taunton, when a marked police car traveling in the opposite direction flagged his number plate through automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology. The vehicle had previously been reported by a member of the public for suspected drink driving.
The officer turned around and followed Vrona to an Asda car park on Creechbarrow Road, where the car came to a stop around 4:30 p.m. Vrona, the sole occupant of the car, was wearing a reflective vest at the time of the stop.
After admitting to having “a couple of beers” after work, Vrona blew 144 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath—more than four times the legal limit of 35 micrograms. He was arrested on the spot and taken to Express Park Police Centre in Bridgwater. A drugs test came back negative.
Vrona expressed concern over losing his driving license, citing its importance for employment. However, at Taunton Magistrates’ Court on August 28, he was disqualified from driving for 36 months, which may be reduced if he completes a driving rehabilitation course.
In addition, he must complete 100 hours of unpaid work, adhere to the terms of a rehabilitation activity requirement, and pay £85 in costs along with a £114 victim surcharge.
Inspector Matt Boiles from the Roads Policing Unit emphasized the value of public reports in catching offenders. “Drink driving remains a leading cause of road deaths,” he said, adding that impaired drivers are significantly more likely to cause fatal accidents.
Avon and Somerset Police continue to target what they call the “Fatal Five” road offenses: drink/drug driving, speeding, failure to wear a seatbelt, careless driving, and driver distraction.
Since early 2023, over 120 people have died in fatal traffic collisions across the Avon and Somerset region—many of them involving one or more of these five key risk factors.
