WATCH: Horrifying footage as drunk driver swerves around roads and hits 70mph
Police have released footage of a woman drink driving through Bexhill, east Sussex.
The video shows her swerving from lane to lane, clipping kerbs and struggling to stay in control of the vehicle, before crashing into a parked car on a country lane.
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Hide AdTaken from the offender’s own dash cam, the footage has been released to highlight the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.
PC Nathan Langley from the Polegate Roads Policing Unit, said: ‘The dangers of drink-driving are well-documented – it can seriously impair your reaction times, concentration levels, and judgement of other road users and hazards. But a lot of people may find this difficult to visualise.
‘Now, through the release of this footage, we can show you exactly what it looks like to drive under the influence of alcohol, and you can see just how shocking it is.’
The incident took place on April 4, with the woman behind the wheel identified as teacher Louise Willard. She was not injured.
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Hide AdWillard, of Ashby Close, Bexhill, appeared at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on April 25, where she pleaded guilty to driving over the limit and failing to stop after a road traffic collision.
She was disqualified from driving for 24 months, and sentenced to a 12-month community order – requiring her to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work – and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £85 victim surcharge.
PC Langley said: ‘The scary thing is this isn’t a particularly unusual or extraordinary example of drink-driving; the driver has displayed a number of characteristics which you would typically expect. What you wouldn’t expect, of course, is for someone in such a state to get behind the wheel of their car.
‘The law around drink-driving is in place for a reason – it is there to keep you safe and to deal robustly with those who compromise the safety of themselves and others by driving while under the influence.’