Drug-Driving Road Worker Caught with 16 Times Legal Cocaine Limit

A van driver has been banned from the roads after testing positive for cocaine following a routine traffic stop on the A23 at Bolney. Iain Nicholas, 43, of Stratford Avenue, Rainham, Kent, was stopped by Sussex Police’s Casualty Reduction Officers on 11 November last year after officers spotted unsecured items, including a loose wheelbarrow, in […]

A van driver has been banned from the roads after testing positive for cocaine following a routine traffic stop on the A23 at Bolney.

Iain Nicholas, 43, of Stratford Avenue, Rainham, Kent, was stopped by Sussex Police’s Casualty Reduction Officers on 11 November last year after officers spotted unsecured items, including a loose wheelbarrow, in the back of his flatbed van. They also noticed Nicholas was not wearing a seatbelt while driving.

During the stop, officers spoke to him about the dangers of unsecured loads before conducting a roadside DrugsWipe test, which Nicholas failed after testing positive for cocaine. He was arrested and taken into custody, where blood tests revealed alarmingly high levels of the drug.

Analysis confirmed the amount of benzoylecgonine, a chemical breakdown product of cocaine, in his blood was over 800 micrograms per litre—a staggering 16 times the legal limit of 50 micrograms.

Nicholas, a road construction worker, appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 8 April where he pleaded guilty to drug driving. He was disqualified from driving for 15 months and fined £450. He was also ordered to pay a £180 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

In addition, he was issued a separate Traffic Offence Report at the scene for not wearing a seatbelt.

Sergeant James Arrol-Barker from Sussex Police’s Road Safety Team said:

“We are sharing this case to highlight the very real dangers posed by drug-driving, not wearing a seatbelt, and careless driving. These are among the ‘fatal five’ factors that contribute to serious injuries and deaths on our roads. We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who put others at unnecessary risk.”

Police are urging all drivers to think carefully about their actions and the devastating consequences that poor decisions on the road can have.