Named: Warwick man 3 times over the limit told he was ‘lucky’ he didn’t kill anyone

NAMED: A Warwick man was three times the limit, travelling down the highway on the wrong side of the road when he crashed into a truck and hospitalised the driver. Read the full story.

A Warwick man has pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in front of the Magistrate on Wednesday.

Warwick’s Benjamin Charles Longden, 37, faced one charge of dangerous operation of a vehicle and adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Grafton said on February 8 Longden was driving 100km/hr with his high beams on while swerving into oncoming traffic on February 8 about 7.50pm, on the Bruce Highway near Gympie.

“He collided with a truck, and smelt of alcohol,” Sergeant Grafton said.

It was later confirmed that Longden had a reading of 0.163, and both Longden and the driver of the truck were taken to hospital.

Defence lawyer, Clare Hine, said Longden had been sober since the crash.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said Longden’s past history was ‘concerning’, and he should have known better.

“His criminal history goes back to 2002, and shows a pattern of noncompliance of road rules,” Magistrate Sturgess said.

“You were lucky you hit a truck, if you were driving into oncoming traffic at 100km/hr, and hit a small vehicle, it could have been serious.

“Driving erratically at 100 km/hr is likely to cause serious injury or death - you’re lucky.” Longden was sentenced to two years imprisonment, wholly suspended for four years.

Magistrate Sturgess noted Longden could not commit another jailable offence in the four year period to stay out of prison, and that he had “the keys to his own jail cell”.

Longden was also disqualified from driving for a term of two years.