Drink driver travelled wrong way down A55 after crashing his van twice
A drink driver drove the wrong way along the A55 for nearly a mile after crashing his van twice. In one of the crashes airbags had been deployed, so he had to stick his head out of the window while travelling in the wrong direction.
A judge branded it a "horrifying" incident as he jailed Gary Hillman for a year. Oncoming motorists - including an ambulance on a 999 call - could not have imagined facing Hillman in that way and it was a miracle he didn't injure or kill someone, he added.
Hillman, 48, admitted dangerous driving. Caernarfon[1] Crown Court[2] heard the defendant, who had been more than three times over the alcohol limit on vodka, had crashed his van in Llandygai.
He drove along the A55[3] towards Conwy[4], crashing again into the central reservation, before the air bags were activated. But the "confused" Hillman turned around and headed west towards Bangor[5] on the incorrect eastbound carriageway with his head out of the window. Police stopped and arrested him.
The court heard Hillman, of Glan Fedw, Betws Yn Rhos[7], had been in his works van on Llandygai industrial estate near Bangor on January 5. At about 2.50pm he went round a bend and crashed into a security fence.
He didn't stop and went onto the A55 towards home. But about ten minutes later near the Puffin roundabout near Dwygyfylchi he crashed into the central reservation. His van's airbags went off and in an act of what the judge called "sheer lunacy" he turned around and went back towards Bangor.
He put his head out of the window as the airbags were in the way while driving for three quarters of a mile. Prosecutor Anna Price said police attended and he was arrested. He failed a roadside breath test and was taken to Ysbyty Gwynedd[8] in Bangor.
He was found to have a reading of 249 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood, the legal limit being 80mg. He told police he thought someone was about to pull out in front of him so veered out of the way, said the prosecutor.
Caernarfon Crown Court (Image: Reach plc)
Ember Wong, defending, said her client had been travelling the wrong way on the A55 "very slowly". He knows he could have taken someone's life and is extremely sorry.
He had lost his job when Covid-19 hit and faced crippling debt and was in "absolute depair". He misguidedly turned to alcohol to deal with the pressure.
He had received "multiple letters about missing payments". He got a new job and decided to drive so as not to jeopardise his new role but ironically did just that, she added.
He has lost that job, had a relationship breakdown and no longer has a permanent home. He is at "rock bottom" and has contacted Alcoholics Anonymous, said Ms Wong.
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The judge Mr Recorder Wyn Lloyd Jones said the defendant is a hard working man. But he said: "The loss of your job, the bills and stress (are) no excuse for putting people at risk."
They could "not possibly have imagined a vehicle likes yours coming towards them however slow it was". He noted Hillman had said he had "four or five inches" of vodka from a 750ml-sized bottle.
He added: "You said you were knocked out in the accident by the (Puffin) roundabout and when you came round you were confused. I'm sure you were."
It had been "little short of a miracle" that he hadn't caused serious injury or death. He jailed Hillman for 12 months for driving a motor vehicle dangerously and gave him four months concurrent for driving with excess alcohol.
He disqualified him from driving for two and a half years and he must take an extended retest.
References
- ^ Caernarfon (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Court (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ A55 (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Conwy (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Bangor (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ 'Horrendous' M56 chase caught on camera as North Wales 'burglars' try to escape police (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Rhos (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Gwynedd (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Caernarfon (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Llandudno (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ Mold (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ click here (www.dailypost.co.uk)
- ^ North Wales Court Reports Facebook group (www.facebook.com)