A local magistrate has warned young motorists about the dangers of drink-driving after disqualifying a Lorn woman from driving for three years.
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Maddison Flint, of Roxburgh Street, pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving in Maitland Local Court after crashing the black Volkswagon Golf she was driving into a parked car on Paterson Road at Bolwarra Heights in the early hours of June 7.
Flint was driving south on Paterson Road about 3.30am before she crashed the car into a parked Hyundai Getz just south of the Cabarita Close intersection.
The impact shunted the parked car into another parked car.
Flint and her passenger were unharmed in the crash.
Police arrived about 4am and spoke with Flint, who said she had consumed a beer and up to five glasses of scotch and colas between 9.45pm and 3.30am.
Flint recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.167 – more than three times the legal limit.
However, Flint had only gained her P2 provisional licence in November 2013, which requires a blood alcohol level of zero.
The 19-year-old’s solicitor said her client had made a stupid error in judgement and had not considered how much alcohol was in her system before she got behind the wheel.
Magistrate John Chicken replied: “It was 3.30 in the morning and her allowed level of alcohol is zero, how could she not consider it?”
He said young drivers needed to heed the message about the dangers of drink-driving needed to get out to the community to young drivers.
“You were nearly four times the legal limit; that’s the risk you took in getting behind the wheel of that car,” Mr Chicken said.
“You are a driver of very limited experience – automatic disqualifications were made just for drivers such as you.”
Flint was disqualified from driving for three years and placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.
She was also fined $750.