A brazen drink driver was swigging beer as police officers arrived at the scene of a road traffic collision on a snow-covered M4.
Lewis Russell-Cole, 24, crashed his Vauxhall Corsa into the motorway’s central reservation before it crossed all three lanes and came to rest on the hard shoulder.
Crown prosecutor Ben Worthington told Swindon Magistrates’ Court yesterday that the defendant was stopped drinking by officers who responded to the reports of the crash on 24 February this year.
A blanket of snow covered the M4 between Membury Services and junction 15, where the incident occurred.
When police arrived at the scene, he was found by his damaged Corsa drinking from a beer bottle. An officer immediately stopped him from continuing to drink and asked him to undertake a roadside breath test.
Russell-Cole provided a positive sample, resulting in his arrest. In custody, on an evidential breathalyser machine, he blew 58 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath.
Defending, Tony Nowogrodzki said that his client crashed as a result of a car pulling out in front of him. He swerved before losing control.
He labelled Russell-Cole as “incredibly stupid” for beginning to drink a beer at the scene, but said he was trying to calm his nerves following the incident.
“It aroused immediate suspicion, and officers quite properly carried out a breath test”, Mr Nowogrodzki commented.
He said the defendant was probably going to lose his job as a steelworker, which requires him to hold a driving licence.
Magistrates fined Russell-Cole, of Cae Derw, Gilwen, Monmouthshire, £400 and banned him from driving for 12 months. His driving disqualification can be reduced by 16 if he completes an approved drink-drive rehabilitation course at his own cost.
