A ‘Severely impaired’ drug driver caused a Cunningham Hwy crash while high on meth

Police said a man involved in a crash was ‘highly erratic’ and fell asleep while talking to officers at the scene

An Upper Coomera man has pleaded guilty following a crash in which he drove a car while high on drugs. Photo: The Queensland Times

A drug driver who was involved in a Cunningham Highway crash later claimed he had been running late for an appearance in court.

Ipswich Magistrates Court heard Adam Walter Harry Boreham was “highly erratic” and fell asleep while police were talking with him.

Despite telling police he hadn’t taken anything before driving, a drug test later showed Boreham, 28, was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs at the time of the crash.

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The court heard Boreham was sitting in the driver’s seat of his blue Holden Commodore about 7.35am when police arrived at the crash on the Cunningham Hwy, New Chum on August 12, 2020.

“Two cars collided heading southbound. Police spoke to (Boreham) … He appeared highly erratic and police observed he had trouble concentrating,” police prosecutor Sergeant Paul Caldwell said.

“His eyes appeared drowsy and, on several occasions, police had to wake him up.”

Sgt Caldwell said Boreham told police he wasn’t on any drugs and had been running late to court when the crash happened.

“He said he intended to move into the overtaking lane from the left, had been too close to the other vehicle and panicked and swerved,” he said.

“He said he didn’t recall much else and acknowledged the crash was his fault.”

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A drug certificate showed Boreham had taken amphetamines, methylamphetamine and paracetamol.

Sgt Caldwell told the court the Government body that tested the blood sample reported the defendant would have been severely impaired at the time.

Boreham pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of a drug and told Magistrate Andy Cridland he had been going through a bad time but had since given up drugs.

“I’ve been clean of drugs for nearly 10 months now,” Boreham said.

He was fined $1050 and disqualified from driving for a year.

Read more news by Ebony Graveur.

Originally published as A ‘Severely impaired’ drug driver caused a Cunningham Hwy crash while high on meth