TikTok as evidence

Do police ignore a drunk driver?

For some inexplicable reason, the driver in the white Mazda drove in serpentine lines on the emergency lane. The police apparently remained inactive.

(Bild: Screenhot/TikTok)

A video on social media is currently causing a stir among users. On TikTok, users are asking themselves one thing: Why didn't the police officers intervene when a driver was driving in serpentine lines next to them? The "Krone" asked the Upper Austrian regional police directorate. 

The video shows a bizarre incident involving the driver of a white car on the A25 in Wels. The driver appeared to be severely impaired behind the wheel, as he was driving in serpentine lines on the emergency lane. Particularly explosive: a police car was right next to the vehicle, but the officers apparently did not intervene.

The video was published on TikTok on Monday and went viral just a few hours later. It had over a million views after just two days. The reactions were not long in coming either, as the video has already been commented on more than 600 times.

Users take it with humor
For almost all viewers, it gives the impression that the police are ignoring the driver's behavior and remaining inactive. However, many users still took the situation with humor: "What do the police do for a living?" asked one of them, for example. Another user wrote sarcastically: "End of service was two minutes ago, we're not doing anything today".

End of service was two minutes ago, we're not doing anything today.

User-Kommentar auf TikTok

However, some TikTok users are also stunned by the behavior of the police and take the situation seriously: "I would forward this to a police station right away so that they can find out which incompetent police officers these are".

Police reject accusations
When asked by "Krone", the press office of the Upper Austrian regional police directorate explained that the situation had been misunderstood. The statement reads: "Our officers will have given the driver of the white Mazda a signal to stop. In response, the driver drove onto the emergency lane. There, the police officers will have communicated to the driver that he should follow them. They then drove off at the next exit", according to the Upper Austrian police headquarters.