A Devizes man who crashed his car into a tree while high on drink and drugs has been handed a lengthy driving ban.
Lee Rawlings was almost three times the legal alcohol limit when he lost control of his Volkswagen Golf on A350 Farmers Roundabout in Melksham last December.
As witnesses to the road traffic collision rushed to help, the 36-year-old was found slumped over the wheel with drug paraphernalia all around him.
He was taken to hospital for treatment, and samples of urine were taken for analysis. Forensic testing revealed he had 317mg of alcohol in his system. The legit limit is 117mg.
He was also found to have a number of drugs in his system – including cocaine and morphine.
Rawlings pleaded guilty to charges of drink driving, drug driving and failing to answer bail.
In a hearing at Salisbury Magistrates’ Court on Friday (12 September), he was disqualified from driving for three years and eight months.
The defendant, of Moyne Close, Devizes, was also given an 18 month community order with the requirement to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Roads Policing Sgt Ayres said: “Rawlings’ actions that day could have had far more significant consequences.
“Despite drinking heavily and consuming a concoction of drugs, Rawlings still chose to get behind the wheel, putting his own life and others at risk.
“As we have said many times, drink and drug driving are two of the leading contributors to deaths on our roads and we will continue to relentlessly target those who break these laws.”
