Imbil crash survivor caught driving 4 times the limit

Paramedics were forced to cut a 20-year-old from his car after he crashed it while more than four times the legal limit.

Joseph Thomas Bell pleaded guilty to drink-driving in Gympie Magistrates Court on Thursday, after it was revealed he blew more than 10 times the legal limit following a crash where his car slammed into a tree at Imbil in April, and he had to be cut from the wreckage.

A 20 year-old Gympie man who escaped with his life after his car slammed into a tree at Imbil was more then four times the legal limit at the time of the crash.

Joseph Thomas Bell only suffered a broken nose when he took a slow-sweeping corner too fast on Kandanga-Imbil Rd and slammed into a tree, leaving paramedics to cut him from the wreckage, Gympie Magistrates Court heard on Thursday.

Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell told the court Bell was driving home from an unnamed hotel on the night of April 30, 2021 when the crash happened.

She said the vehicle sustained major damage, and Bell didn’t remember a lot of what happened.

Sgt Campbell said he was taken to Gympie Hospital where a blood test revealed a blood-alcohol reading of 0.220.

When given the opportunity to speak, Bell said he didn’t really know what to say.

“I’m just really sorry about it all,” he said.

Magistrate Graham Hillan said Bell was lucky the accident was not more serious.

“You put others at risk, including yourself,” he said.

Bell pleaded guilty to drink-driving, and was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 12 months by Mr Hillan.

A conviction was recorded.