Melissa Gifford sentenced for drunken Gladstone car crash

A woman who drank an alarming amount of wine was en route to driving up the Bruce Highway late at night when she crashed her car into traffic lights.

Melissa Sue-Ann Gifford faced Gladstone Magistrates Court on March 19.

A woman who crashed a car into traffic lights while heavily intoxicated late at night has been sentenced in a Central Queensland court.

Melissa Sue-Ann Gifford, 39, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on March 19 to drink-driving.

The court heard that about 10.25pm on January 16, police were called to a single-vehicle crash at the Hanson Road/Reid Road intersection at Yarwun.

When police arrived they saw the Nissan Pulsar that Gifford had been driving was extensively damaged at the front, and facing the wrong way.

“Police spoke with multiple witnesses who stated the vehicle was travelling outbound towards Mount Larcom when it has hit the traffic lights, spun out of control and come to a stop facing the wrong way around on the opposite side of the road,” police prosecutor Kelvin Boyd said.

Melissa Sue-Ann Gifford.

“(The witnesses) further stated the only occupant, a female driver, appeared intoxicated and climbed out of the vehicle through the passenger side door.”

Mr Boyd said when police spoke to Gifford, she told them she had drank three quarters of a bottle of wine and she was driving to Rockhampton.

Gifford was taken to hospital and subsequently returned a blood alcohol reading of .167.

The court heard that Gifford had no prior offending of this sort.

A self-represented Gifford told Magistrate Mary Buchanan that she was not in the right frame of mind on the night of the incident.

She further said she was getting counselling for the issues from that night.

Ms Buchanan fined Gifford $1000 and disqualified her from driving for six months.

A traffic conviction was recorded.