Builder crashes ute four times over limit, breaks man’s neck
A man was four times over the legal alcohol limit when he smashed into another car following a drunken night.
Southern Courier
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A builder was driving four times over the legal alcohol limit when he crashed his ute into another vehicle at a set of lights in Randwick sending one person to hospital with a fractured neck, a court has heard.
Nicholas Cullen, 26, who is residing in Australia on a working holiday visa and based at Matraville, was heavily intoxicated when he crashed his vehicle during the night of Saturday, November 23.
He admitted to police he was “well over” before returning a breath analysis of 0.204 – more than four times the limit for a driver on a full licence.
Mr Cullen fronted Waverley Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving.
A magistrate told him he was lucky not to be facing further charges before fining him $1500.
Shortly before midnight on the night of the incident, Mr Cullen drove into the back of another vehicle at a set of lights on Avoca St, Randwick.
The agreed facts stated the collision was so heavy it caused damage to three vehicles all waiting in a row ahead of him at a red light. His Ford Falcon ute was also written off in the smash.
A male passenger in one of the cars fractured a vertebrae in his neck and was taken to hospital by ambulance.
“(The passenger) did not require surgery as a result of his injuries but has undergone treatment since the collision,” the agreed facts stated.
Mr Cullen left the scene of the crash before emergency services arrived but returned soon after. Police said he initially told them he was not the driver but later conceded he was behind the wheel.
He was arrested and taken to Mascot Police Station where he returned the high reading of 0.204.
During his sentencing on Wednesday, his defence said he panicked following the incident, but had since made full compensation to the owners of the damaged vehicles.
He added his own vehicle, worth about $8000, was written off in the crash.
Magistrate Greg Grogin said he was very fortunate not to be facing further charges.
“One of the (passengers) was found to have a fractured vertebrae in their neck that did not require surgery.
“You are lucky you are not facing a more serious offence.”
He was convicted, fined $1500 and disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for nine months to be followed by an interlock licence for a period of two years.