Police officer detained in Aizkraukle after drunk-driving crash and escape

Latvia's State Police chief Armands Ruks has confirmed that a police employee was detained on Wednesday evening in the Aizkraukle area. She is suspected of causing a road accident while intoxicated and then evading the authorities.

The emergency call about the crash in Sērene came in around 8 p.m. Officers found that a car had hit an obstacle and the driver had left the scene. During a search, the woman was located at her private property. A breathalyzer test recorded 3.18 promille of alcohol in her breath.

According to the investigation, the officer was driving a BMW when she lost control, left the road and ended up in a ditch. No other road users were involved and nobody was injured. The woman was placed in a short-term detention facility.

A criminal case has been opened under the provision of the Criminal Law that covers driving with an alcohol concentration exceeding 1.5 promille. The penalty can be up to one year in prison, short-term imprisonment, or probation supervision, along with a five-year driving ban. An administrative process has also been launched for unjustified departure from the roadway, which carries a warning or a fine ranging from 25 to 140 euros.

Ruks said the detained officer has roughly 30 years of service and had previously been described as disciplined and quiet, with no prior disciplinary violations. The reason for her behaviour is not yet known.

A service inspection began on Thursday in the Zemgale regional administration to assess how the situation could have occurred, how the employee is characterised and how internal control over discipline is carried out. The incident follows last week's fatal beating of a teacher by a drunk police officer in Priekule. Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava has called for a service inspection against Ruks himself after these cases.