TV woman’s ice and grog crash

A CHRISTMAS holiday car crash at a coastal campground at Breamlea has cost a Melbourne woman $850 and forced her off the roads.

Lucy Smith, 24, described the events of December 29, 2015, as a “horrible and reckless mistake” in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

The court heard the advertising worker at Channel 7 recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.153 and was found to have methylamphetamine in her system after the crash.

Eighteen months later she is still receiving treatment for spinal injuries sustained when her car hit a tree while her passengers also had minor injuries.

The court was told Ms Smith was holidaying with friends on the night of the incident and using her car to light the campsite before deciding to move the vehicle to charge the battery.

The crash happened as she drove a lap of the camp ground.

Magistrate John Lesser said the defendant was fortunate to avoid “potential disaster”.

Ms Smith, previously of Beaumaris now living in Windsor, told the court she rarely drank alcohol and could not explain the drug reading, but said she had thought about the crash every day since.

“It was just really a one-off night . . . just stupid,” she said.

Having done a drink drivers course and sought counselling, she escaped conviction on a charge of drink and drug driving but was fined $850 and ordered off the roads for 21 months.