A Fife woman was six times the drink-drive limit when she crashed her car into a lorry and hit speeds of 90mph on the A92, followed by an ambulance.
Concerned paramedics found Lesley Price with a bottle of vodka on her lap after following her along the dual carriageway from Kirkcaldy to Cowdenbeath, where she finally stopped her Mini.
Just two months later, she drove a Ford Focus while five times the limit.
The 37-year-old, of Annie Paton Road in St Andrews, appeared at Dunfermline Sheriff Court for sentencing after earlier pleading guilty to dangerous driving and drink-driving (142mics/ 22) on June 12 and drink-driving on August 13 last year.
90mph drink-drive
Prosecutor Matthew Knapp told the court two ambulance workers were on shift at around 7.40pm when they saw Price’s red Mini travelling west and “continuously switching lanes without any indication” on the A92 near Chapel Level, Kirkcaldy.
The fiscal depute said the ambulance stayed behind her car, which they described as being “all over the road”.
The Mini crossed into the hard shoulder, bumping kerbs and “throwing up dust”.
Police were contacted by the paramedics, who kept following.
The fiscal continued: “Now near to Lochgelly, the ambulance driver noted an articulated lorry pulling out from a layby and saw Ms Price’s red Mini collide with the rear of that vehicle.”
Price swerved and she almost collided with a second lorry.
As the ambulance followed, the medics noted her driving at around 90mph.
She left the A92 at the Lochgelly slip road, drove round a roundabout and rejoined the dual carriageway going the same direction, so she was now behind the ambulance.
Vodka on lap
Both vehicles left the A92 at Cowdenbeath and she was “straddling both lanes” and collided with a central reservation, which had “blown her front right tyre”.
Despite this, she kept driving along Broad Street and the ambulance parked behind her when she stopped in Barclay Street, where she lived at the time.
She was described as having slurred speech, blurry eyes and being unable to focus.
The fiscal depute said the two medics saw a “bottle of vodka on Ms Price’s lap”.
She failed a roadside breath test and told police: “I’m not going to lie, I have been drinking, I have had a couple.”
Hit van
The court heard that around 9.10pm on August 13 in the King Street area of Cowdenbeath, Price, driving a Ford Focus, struck a van and drove off.
The fiscal said the car was stopped and the van driver saw a “young female” leaving the vehicle.
The van driver got out and started filming Price on his phone, including damage to her car.
He tried to speak with her but said she did not appear to understand him.
He told her he would phone police after smelling alcohol and she drove off.
A short time later a neighbour saw Price parking outside her home and exiting the car, stumbling and appearing intoxicated.
Police were shown the recording by the van driver and found Price at home, intoxicated.
Sentencing
Defence lawyer Alexander Flett said it was fortunate no one else was killed or seriously injured and Price presents as remorseful.
The solicitor said his client had been consuming alcohol to a “significant degree” but has tried to make progress and was referred to alcohol counselling.
Mr Flett highlighted a social work report has assessed Price as someone who can be managed safely in the community.
Sheriff Susan Duff told Price she “should get a custodial sentence” but noted she has made “significant steps” to address her alcohol dependency.
The sheriff gave Price the maximum 300 hours of unpaid work, placed her on offender supervision for a year and banned her from driving for five years.
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