Car crash driver four times limit

WITH a breath/alcohol level more than four times the legal limit and driving in heavy rain at night on Ruthven St, Tristan John Pawsey drove through three red lights before crashing into another car.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard the 32-year-old had lunch with friends at an inner-city hotel on June 10, last year, before moving onto another bar where he continued to drink vodka and soda for another six hours.

About 9.25pm, he got into his Hyundai sedan for the drive home to Highfields, police prosecutor Sergeant Mike Robinson told the court.

A witness later told police of seeing the Hyundai appearing to be travelling above the 60kmh speed limit on Ruthven St and go through two sets of red traffic lights before going through a third at the North St intersection and crashing into a car travelling in the opposite direction.

Sgt Robinson said Pawsey was taken by ambulance to Toowoomba Hospital where a specimen of blood was taken which ultimately showed he had a blood/alcohol reading at the time of 0.22.

Pawsey pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.

His solicitor Claire Graham told the court her client was medicated for depression which had been diagnosed when he was 24.

Her client accepted his conduct that night was dangerous and he was remorseful, she said.

Magistrate Damian Carroll placed Pawsey on 30 months probation and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for 15 months.

Taking into account Pawsey had no criminal history, Mr Carroll ordered that the conviction not be recorded.