By Shaun Milne
POLICE have arrested a man over an assault on a Paramedic who was trying to help him after a crash.
The 52-year-old had been involved in a collision in South Queensferry and turned on the medic who was tending his injuries.
Officers found he was over the legal drink drive limit and charged him.
No further details have been released.
But the incident came on the first day of a national police summer anti drink/drug drive campaign.
In the Lothian and Borders Police area so far, 19 people have been detected for driving either under the influence.
Among them a 33-year-old Haddington man arrested for driving while on drugs.
He allegedly crashed into a Bear Scotland van at road works on the A1 after failing to spot hazard lights.
The utility van – with high visibility lights – had been parked to alert drivers to works near Gladsmuir in East Lothian when it was hit last week.
The offending car driver was subsequently tested and charged for being under the influence and drugs.
He was the only one of the 19 arrests so far not to be drink related.
A Lothian and Borders Police spokesman said: “We are disappointed at the number of people our officers have detected over the first week of this campaign.
“While the majority of motorists recognise the very real risks of drink or drug driving, it is clear that there remains a hardcore element of motorists who continue to get behind the wheel while under the influence.
“This kind of mindless behaviour cannot be tolerated, and over the next week of the campaign we will be focusing all of our efforts on catching those motorists who continue to gamble with their own lives, as well as the lives of others.”
The summer campaign draws to a close this coming Monday.?
