The two drivers involved in Saturday's fatal road accident had both been drinking shortly before the incident.

And the news is bound to spark off fresh calls for a zero tolerance policy by anti-drink driving campaigners.

Fisherman Henry Corea, 56, was killed after his bike was involved in a head on collision with a truck on Spanish Point Road, Pembroke, at about 6.30 p.m. He died a short time later from multiple injuries.

The Royal Gazette has learned that Mr. Corea, of Controversy Lane, Pembroke, had been arrested earlier that evening on suspicion of driving while impaired.

He was taken to Hamilton Police Station and provided a breath sample which showed that, although he had been drinking, he was within the legal drink drive limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol to 100 millilitres of blood. Mr. Corea was driving home from the Police Station when the fatal accident occurred.

The 36-year-old Paget truck driver involved in the accident was arrested by Police at the scene on suspicion of driving while impaired. He later passed a breathalyser test, although again the test showed that he had consumed some alcohol.

The man, who is not being named by Police, has since been released on Police bail pending further inquiries into the cause of the crash by accident investigation officers.

The man's lawyer, Senator Michael Scott, last night issued a statement dismissing media reports that his client was drunk when the accident occurred.

"The fact is that our client was not impaired by alcohol whilst having the truck under his control at the time of this accident and the information confirming the driver's sobriety has been personally and authoritatively confirmed by his lawyers,'' Sen. Scott said.

"Statements that the driver was impaired are unfair to the victim's family and further burden our client as well, who is and remains shaken and disturbed by the fact of his involvement in a road traffic fatality.'' But Delcina Bean-Burrows, chairman of the Road Safety Council, yesterday warned that the fact that alcohol had been consumed by both drivers would increase the group's efforts for a zero tolerance policy, making it illegal to drive after consuming any alcohol at all.

Crash drivers had been drinking "We haven't received any details from the Police in terms of what actually happened on Saturday yet,'' Ms Bean-Burrows said.

"But drink driving will remain on the front burner of our efforts. Needless to say if it does pan out that alcohol was a major factor in this accident then that only strengthens our resolve to continue to campaign against drink driving.'' Ironically Saturday's accident -- the first fatal crash of the year -- came just two days before the start of National Road Safety Week, which was launched by Transport Minister Ewart Brown yesterday.

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