Benjamin Mackenzie: Council worker crashes on North St, North Albury

A mother and her two children were lucky to escape uninjured when a drunk council worker crashed into their car in North Albury.

Benjamin Ross Mackenzie was charged with high-range drink driving after recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.180. Picture: iStock

A woman and her two children were lucky to escape uninjured after a drunk driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into the family’s vehicle.

Benjamin Ross Mackenzie faced Albury Local Court this week, pleading guilty to high-range drink driving.

The 35-year-old father-of-two was driving on North St, Albury North about 5.10pm on November 2 when he drifted off and his car began to swerve onto the wrong side of the road.
A woman driving in the opposite direction, with her two children aged 11 and 14 in the car, tried to evade Mackenzie’s vehicle, but it clipped the front driver’s side door, causing the vehicle to spin 180 degrees band flip onto its side.

Witnesses called triple-0 and police, fire services and paramedics attended the scene.

Police said the mother and children were uninjured but very shaken up.
When police spoke to the accused he said he couldn’t remember anything in relation to the collision, and had had two beers at lunch.

Mackenzie recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.180.

Mackenzie’s defence solicitor said the accused had had a few friends over the night before, drinking beer and vodka, and the party had gone until 6am the day of the incident.

His defence solicitor said Mackenzie was employed full-time by the council and had never been to court before, with his last driving offence being a minor speeding incident in 2016.

Magistrate Richard Funston said it was very lucky someone wasn’t seriously hurt in the crash.

“You don’t need me to lecture you. Your wife is a nurse, I’m sure she can tell you about all the horrible accidents that come into the emergency room,” he said.

“It’s too horrific to think about what could have gone wrong.

“I take into account you’ve never been to court before and your references are glowing.

“It’s clearly already cost you a lot financially and probably emotionally as well.”

Magistrate Funston sentenced Mackenzie to a 12 month community corrections order and disqualified him from driving for seven months, back dated to November 2.