Caught on camera: Drunk talked out of driving car
Footage caught on a mobile phone shows the moment a man who appears to be drunk was stopped from driving off from a Maidstone car park.
The video was posted on Facebook by Danny Tiplady and shows him approach the man behind the wheel and ask him not to drive.
It happened at Mote Park just before 2.30pm on Friday.
Mr Tiplady said to the man: “Honestly, I’ve seen you climb over the gate there and you fell over three times – you shouldn’t be behind the wheel of this car.
“You shouldn’t be driving. I’m just worried you’re going to hurt somebody.
“I don’t want to cause any trouble but I don’t want to see anybody hurt either.”
Mr Tiplady, who is from Maidstone, then takes the driver’s keys from him, adding: “I can’t let you do it mate.
“I can’t let you drive that car. I’m going to have to ring the police on you.”
When police arrived, officers confiscated the man’s keys.
He was told to go home and that he could pick them up from the police station the next day. Mr Tiplady said: “I was Snapchatting him almost falling over and I genuinely thought it was funny but then he got in the driver’s seat and it struck me with fear.
“I went past the A1 crash six hours after it happened on Thursday and I didn’t want to see something like that on the news and known I could have done something.
“The park was full of parents and kids and if he had reversed too heavy-footed, who knows the chaos?
“I felt I was the only one to see him drunk and get into the car so I needed to stop him.”
He added: “I know I saved someone’s life today.”
A police spokesman confirmed officers were called to Mote Park following concerns from members of the public about a man who was thought to be drunk and about to drive his car.
To see Mr Tiplady’s video, go to www.kentonline.co.uk/ maidstone