Drunken driver’s crash cut electricity
A MAN’S highspeed alcoholaffected driving caused spectacular damage and a power outage in Caversham earlier this year, the Dunedin District Court has heard.
Dunedin builder Cody John Hurring (27) was driving his Mitsubishi Evo at high speed on Barnes Dr, about 5am on April 9, when he failed to take a moderate righthand bend.
He lost control of the car, which hit the gutter at speed, shattering the front and rear mag wheels and leaving pieces of them on the footpath. The car then careered out of control, flattening a street lamp pole and an electricity junction box, causing a severe loss of power to the area.
The vehicle then flipped on to its roof and hit a house. There were people in the house at the time and when someone called the police, Hurring got out of his crashed car and ran from the scene.
Police went to his home about an hour later and found him in bed.
He said he had not been driving his car, that someone had stolen it.
Because he showed signs of recent alcohol consumption, Hurring was breathtested and returned an alcohol reading of more than 400mcg.
He agreed to go to the police station with the officers but then refused an evidential breath test or to give a blood sample for testing.
Hurring’s counsel Rebecca Barton told Judge Kevin Phillips ‘‘The facts speak for themselves’’.
The defendant knew his behaviour had been ‘‘less than stellar’’ and that he had ‘‘brought things on himself’’.
He knew he was ‘‘incredibly lucky’’ that nobody was hurt or injured and the damage was not worse, Miss Barton said.
Although Hurring had a previous conviction for drinkdriving, counsel asked the judge not to take that into account when sentencing. The defendant was taking steps to address his alcohol use, she said.
By driving as he did, Hurring had placed himself and anyone else using the road at risk, Judge Phillips said. And he told the defendant he thought he was very fortunate the charge of dangerous driving had been reduced to careless use.
Hurring had admitted driving carelessly and refusing to allow the taking of a blood specimen for testing.
While Miss Barton had asked for the defendant’s drinkdriving conviction to be disregarded, the judge thought that was not realistic. That conviction was an aggravating factor, he said.
Hurring’s behaviour in April was made more reprehensible because he had learned nothing from age 19.
‘‘I think you minimise your alcohol issue,’’ Judge Phillips told Hurring. But he took into account the positive aspects, that the defendant was employed, owned his own home, had pleaded guilty early and had paid reparation to Aurora Energy
On the charge of refusing a blood specimen, Hurring was sentenced to three months’ community detention with a weekend curfew, 120 hours’ community work and nine months’ supervision with alcohol and drug counselling, treatment and programmes as directed. He was also disqualified from driving for nine months, followed by a zeroalcohol licence requirement.
On the charge of careless use, Hurring was convicted and disqualified for six months (concurrent). He also faces 12 months without being allowed a financial interest in a motor vehicle.