Optus worker Hannah Bourne pleads guilty to failing to submit to breath analysis after Kings Hwy, Northangera crash

A Canberra Optus worker has escaped serious injury after crashing her car on the highway at three times the legal alcohol limit during a boozy drive to the south coast. Here’s what happened.

Hannah Elizabeth Bourne faced Queanbeyan Local Court on January 22, 2024. Picture: Sam Turner

An Optus worker has escaped serious injury after crashing her car on the highway at three times the legal alcohol limit during a boozy drive to the south coast.

She was later charged for failing a follow-up breath test at a police station.

Hannah Elizabeth Bourne, 34, freed herself from her Hyundai Santa Fe after she lost control of the SUV on the Kings Highway at Northangera, between Canberra and Batemans Bay, on December 12.

She was driving from Goulburn to visit a friend on the south coast when the crash occurred about 7.41pm, agreed facts tendered to Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday revealed.

Police state the Goulburn woman’s vehicle slid off the side of the road in the wet and into an embankment before it turned on its side.

Hannah Elizabeth Bourne leaving court.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, but Bourne was able to remove herself from the car and – miraculously – escaped serious injury. She declined to go to hospital.

The 34-year-old spoke to police roadside and she said she had drunk “several alcoholic beverages” before leaving Goulburn.

Bourne blew a reading of 0.173 per cent roadside, police state in the facts.

She was taken to Braidwood Police Station for follow-up testing, but failed to provide a sufficient breath sample three times.

Hannah Elizabeth Bourne was driving to the south coast when she crashed her car on the highway.

Bourne’s defence told the court police informed her she was blowing too hard and then too softly during the testing, but there was no definitive reason a reading could not be obtained.

The court heard the Goulburn woman’s Hyundai, purchased on a loan, has been written off, however, she still had to make repayments.

Bourne, who the court heard works in telecommunications, had to catch public transport from Goulburn to work at Canberra while she was without a car.

The defence lawyer said the Welsh-born woman was remorseful and had completed a traffic offenders program.

Magistrate Roger Clisdell said it appeared Bourne was “well affected by liquor” when she “skidded” off the road in the 80km/h zone.

Bourne pleaded guilty to refusing or failing to submit to breath analysis.

She was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community correction order.

Bourne was also disqualified from driving for six months.