Drunk Driving

The highly inebriated 18-year-old soldier left the base with the first tank early on Friday morning, Feb. 20, but didn't make it far. After just half a kilometer (third of a mile) he veered off the road and the eight-ton Scimitar tank came to a halt.

Determined to finish what he'd started, the wobbly recruit walked back to base and took off in another one of the massive reconnaissance vehicles. Once again, he made it through the camp gates, but not without being spotted by British military police.

Well-practiced after the first episode, the soldier managed to travel all of three kilometers the second time around, just narrowly avoiding a collision with an oncoming car.

Pursued by his colleagues, the young tank thief finally swerved and hit a beech tree.

"He evidently tried to shake them off, then lost control of the vehicle," a police spokesman said. "I don't know if he was an experienced tank driver, but I'm not sure you can be at 18."

The local police have opened an investigation. There was no word on how many push-ups the soldier will have to do as punishment when his hangover wears off.