Santa Facing Possible DUI Charge After Sleigh Crash [Video]

A allegedly drunk Santa and his helper may face DUI charges after an accident involving their horse-drawn sleigh.

The Santa Claus in question, 51, and his female sidekick were supposed to be entertaining kids in Ustrzykach Dolnych, Poland. According to multiple media reports, they had a bit too much eggnog or some other adult beverage and were behaving somewhat erratically as they tried to sing carols and wave to the crowd. Unfortunately as they were navigating through the street, a passing car beeped its horn, scaring the horse. Santa apparently lost control of the frightened animal, and the sleigh crashed into a wall, leaving Santa and his helper with concussions.

According to a local police spokeswoman commenting about the duo who were treated at a local hospital, “Technically, they were drunk while in charge of a vehicle on the road. We are looking at pressing charges.”

A witness to what happened was less than impressed with Santa coming to town. “They were supposed to have been an attraction at the local market and lots of people were taking their children there to go and see them. But instead they saw these two, who were clearly under the influence, behaving like they had just come out of a nightclub or something.” Another witness of the alleged bad Santa commented that “I’m not happy they had a crash or are in hospital, but I’m delighted we didn’t get to meet them. Who knows what they would have done in that state. The were clearly in no state to deal with children.”

In a separate, wholly unrelated incident, a man in a Santa Claus costume who was participating in a toy giveaway was shot in the back with a pellet gun on Christmas Eve. The incident was filmed by a local TV news crew who happened to be covering the event in Washington D.C.

[thumbnail image credit: RanjithSiji]