A 40-year-old Belgian man has been acquitted of drunk driving. Reason: His body brews alcohol on its own.
A 40-year-old Belgian no longer understood the world when he was caught drunk driving three times between 2019 and 2022 – but without drinking alcohol, as he confirmed.
The Belgian was caught driving drunk three times without having consumed any alcohol.Image: Shutterstock
But why did the blast test show a whopping 2.09 per mille at 4 p.m. in April 2022? And just a month later 1.63 per mille? The man would have had to drink at least one bottle of wine for 2 per mille. But all he drank were two beers – and that was the day before. The man desperately searched for explanations, but found none. Both times his driving license was revoked for 15 days, according to the Flemish news magazine VRT reported on Monday.
He decided to get checked and was surprised when he was diagnosed with the rare EigenBrauer syndrome. A disease in which the body produces large amounts of alcohol itself. After the man consumed sugary food as part of a study, two independent doctors were able to prove that his body “massively” converted the carbohydrates into alcohol.
Unintentionally drunk
Since he himself did not know that he suffered from this syndrome, the police court decided that force majeure was involved and acquitted him.
His lawyer Anse Ghesquière told VRT about her client:
“He is relieved that he now knows where he stands. The judge ruled that he was suffering from an illness that he did not know existed and that he could neither foresee nor prevent. As a result, he ended up in a situation that he could not have avoided.”
The judge also pointed out that the Belgian had not shown any symptoms of alcohol poisoning despite the high blood alcohol level. According to Studies However, it is not uncommon for those affected to feel drunk. Slurred speech, loss of motor skills, stumbling around and dizziness could be observed. But not much is known about the disease, as the judge admits:
“The question is actually what effects such an illness has. You can’t say much about it because medical science knows hardly anything about it.”
The judge rejected the prosecutor’s suggestion that the man be declared unfit to drive, but issued a warning. Now that the man knows about his diagnosis, he must take appropriate precautions. This includes a special diet in which he has to eat more proteins and fewer carbohydrates. He has also already undergone a fecal transplant, in which healthy bacteria were inserted into his intestines to normalize his digestion. If the man is caught driving under the influence of alcohol again, he will be fined.
Fun Fact: The man not only brews alcohol in his body, but he actually works in a brewery. But this was just an unfortunate coincidence, as his lawyer emphasized in court. (saw)
This is what driving is really like – honest graphics
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This is what driving is really like – honest graphics
what: watson
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