Amrit Indraratna escapes jail after flipping car in drink-driving crash
A 28-year-old Illawarra man has escaped jail but lost his job at a drug and alcohol treatment facility, after he crashed his car while driving more than four times the legal limit.
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A former employee at a drug and alcohol treatment organisation has escaped jail after he flipped his car while driving more than four times over the legal limit.
Amrit Indraratna, 28, was sentenced to 12 months jail to be served in the community by way of an intensive corrections order on Tuesday, after he was found drunk in a gutter following a horrific crash in Warrawong last year.
The 28-year-old faced Wollongong Local Court for sentencing in front of Magistrate Susan McGowan, where the court heard he had “deep remorse” for his actions, which saw him fired from his job at drug and alcohol treatment and counselling service, The Watershed.
Indraratna was charged with high range drink driving in January, after the potentially-deadly crash on December 14 last year.
In documents tendered to the court, it was revealed that as well as alcohol, police believe speed played a major issue in the crash, in which he smashed into a parked vehicle and trailer on Vermont Street, Warrawong.
It was around 4am when Indraratna drove his VW Jetta down the road, before it veered to the wrong side of Vermont Street, crashed into a parked Holden Commodore, causing his car to flip on its roof and collide with a parked box trailer.
Indraratna pulled himself from his smashed-up vehicle and into the gutter, where worried neighbours found him and contacted emergency services.
Police arrived on scene and found him “extremely intoxicated by alcohol”, according to court documents, with bloodshot, glazed eyes.
After Indraratna identified himself as the driver, police undertook a roadside breath test, which returned a positive reading. He was then taken to hospital for medical assessment.
He received treatment for grazed wrists and possible internal injuries, before police ordered a blood and urine sample.
The documents also revealed that Indraratna was on heavy pain medication at the time of the crash as he had his wisdom teeth removed the day prior.
The urine and blood samples returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.210, more than four times the legal limit.
Back at the scene, investigators found empty cans and bottles of alcohol in the 28-year-old’s car.
In the documents police said Indraratna’s decision to get behind the wheel could have been deadly.
“The collision taking place in the early hours of the morning os the only thing which prevented other road users from being seriously injured or killed,” police said in the documents.
During his appearance in court on Wednesday, Indraratna’s defence lawyer told Magistrate McGowan his client regretted getting behind the wheel that night, and that his behaviour was “out of character”.
“He comes from a very good family who are completely disgusted and disturbed by his offending,” he said.
In handing down her sentence Magistrate McGowan said while it was obvious he showed remorse, his actions “could have killed himself or someone else”.
“This is a very serious example of [drink driving],” she said.
As part of the 12-month intensive corrections order, Magistrate McGowan ordered Indraratna undertake 150 hours community service. He was also subjected to a six-month driving suspension and will have an interlock device fitted in his vehicle for a period of 24-months.