Redcliffe Special School teacher crashes car into pole while 5 times over legal limit

The court heard the mother was knocked unconscious by the airbag and woke to find paramedics at the scene.

A high school teacher from Redcliffe Special School was more than five times the legal alcohol limit when she crashed her car into a pole, knocking herself out, Pine Rivers Magistrates Court heard.

Rebecca Osborn, 38, had downed a bottle and a half of white wine at a friend’s house at Griffin on October 18 when she made the ill-advised decision to drive home, defence lawyer Andy Bazzi of Armstrong Legal told the court.

The court heard she had been distracted and turned around in her seat, causing her to veer off the road and collide into a pole.

The airbags were deployed, knocking Osborn unconscious, and when she next opened her eyes paramedics were on scene.

Osborn suffered multiple cuts and bruises to the left side of her face from the impact of the airbag, in addition to a large haematoma on her leg.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Chelsey Ham told the court police arrived on scene at Wagner Rd, near Swallow St, at around 6.30pm to find the car half mounted on the gutter and Osborn smelling of alcohol and slurring her speech.

Osborn was transported to the Royal Women’s and Brisbane Hospital where she was treated for injuries and police took a specimen of Osborn’s blood, which revealed a blood-alcohol content of 0.252, more than five times the legal limit.

The court heard Osborn began drinking heavily this year to cope with the stress of working through the coronavirus pandemic, and had sought medical assistance for the problem prior to the crash.

Character references tendered to the court demonstrated the behaviour was out of character for Osborn, who was described as an upstanding member of the community who volunteered her time to help others.

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In her 22 years of driving, it was her first drink-driving offence.

Osborn pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

No conviction was recorded.