“Confiscated License and Fine Overturned with Witness Samples”
Driver’s License Confiscated for Alcohol, Fined – Witness Samples Changed Everything
A truck driver from Karaburun Municipality named Ilkay Kocatepe had a serious accident which left him injured on 13 December 2020. Kocatepe lost control of his truck with license plate 35 RBV 01 while on the way to Izmir and the vehicle flipped over in Urla’s Balıkova location. Kocatepe, who was taken to Urla State Hospital by ambulance, was found to exceed the alcohol limit of 0.20 with 0.46 in his blood test. As a result, İzmir Regional Traffic Inspection Branch Directorate Urla Martyr Serkan Çağlayan Regional Traffic Inspection Station Chief teams seized his driver’s license and imposed an administrative fine of 1823 TL. The Prosecutor’s Office also launched an investigation against Kocatepe due to ‘Endangering Traffic Safety’.
However, Kocatepe claimed that he hadn’t consumed alcohol since New Year’s Eve 11 years ago and through his lawyers- Barış Can Gürlük and Berk Ali Koçer- brought the matter to court. The lawyers demanded that the blood samples of two witnesses, which were kept from the three samples taken for alcohol testing, be tested as well. It was then discovered that the witness samples didn’t contain alcohol. On 2 May, the Urla Criminal Court of Peace ruled that Kocatepe’s driver’s license be returned and the imposed fine be canceled. In addition, it was decided that there was no need for prosecution in the investigation against Kocatepe.
Following this, Kocatepe described his experience by saying that his family had trust issues with him after the incident and could have lost his job. He also emphasized that the barcode numbers of the witness samples should always be asked for and that the citizen should fight until the end if they’re in the right. In turn, Kocatepe’s lawyer, Barış Can Gürlük, reiterated that it’s a rare situation for the blood test to come out positive for alcohol, however, if citizens are confident, they should take the case to the end.
The incident serves as a reminder to drivers to always remain vigilant while on the road and avoid drinking alcohol before and during a journey.
