'Sheer luck' no-one injured in drunk driver crash
A 73-year-old drunk driver has been banned from the road after ploughing his car through a set of traffic lights.
Garrick Jones, of Holburne Park in Bath, Somerset, appeared in court on 11 May and was handed a 27-month driving ban and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work.
Jones mounted the pavement on Frome Road in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, at about 17:20 BST on 31 March, colliding with multiple vehicles and flattening the traffic lights.
A roadside breath test revealed he was more than three times over the legal limit. PC Craig Beales, from Wiltshire Police, said it was "sheer luck" that no one was hurt.
As part of his sentence, Jones must also attend 20 rehabilitation days, pay a £114 surcharge and £85 in costs to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Following the crash, Jones was arrested and taken to custody where he provided a further reading, which confirmed he was over the drink drive limit.
PC Beales, from the roads policing unit, said: "This incident shows just how dangerous and reckless drink driving is.
"It was only through sheer luck that no one was seriously injured.
"Jones was found to be well over the limit following the collision and in not fit state to be behind the wheel of a car.
"We will continue to take robust action against anyone who chooses to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, and we urge the public to report concerns if they suspect someone is driving under the influence."
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