A drink-driver has been fined and disqualified from driving after crashing on Dundee’s Kingsway and overturning her car.
Donna Dorian, 51, of Arbroath Road, was sentenced at the sheriff court after admitting a charge against her.
The court heard she had been drinking alcohol at home on January 26 but when she went to bed, she was unable to sleep.
Dorian, who is a student, decided to go out to buy cigarettes.
Despite drinking that night, she believed herself to be under the drink-drive limit and got into her car to drive to a shop.
But a short time later, she lost control of the vehicle near the Scott Fyffe circle on the Kingsway and flipped it on to its roof.
There were no other vehicles involved in the incident.
Witnesses raced to Dorian’s aid and helped free her from the car before dialling 999.
Dorian suffered minor injuries but didn’t require treatment at hospital.
A short time later, she was charged by police.
When breathalysed by officers, she had 52 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml of breath — more than double the legal limit. Fiscal depute Trina Sinclair said the accused’s driving caused her “vehicle to overturn on its roof”.
Witnesses to the crash had to “force open the driver door and had to undo the seatbelt”.
She added: “A witness became aware of a strong smell of alcohol from the accused at that time.
“They called 999 and requested an ambulance.
“Thereafter police arrived and the accused identified herself as the driver and produced a positive sample of breath.”
Kevin Hampton, defending, said his client was a student and suffered from depression.
He said: “On the night in question, she was drinking at home.
“She went to bed but couldn’t get to sleep.
“She decided to leave the house to buy cigarettes.
“She — as it turned out, incorrectly — felt enough time had elapsed to be fit enough to drive.”
At the time of the incident, witnesses told the Tele the one-vehicle crash “looked pretty bad” and described a scene filled with police officers, cars and also a fire engine.
Part of Arbroath Road was closed at the time and the crash was described as looking “quite frightening”.
Sheriff Linda Smith fined Dorian £230 and disqualified her from driving for 15 months.
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