Todd William Bradford faces Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court for drug driving, leaving scene of accident

A drug driver left the scene of a head-on Gippsland collision because he had to “do the banking” at work.

Todd Bradford faced the Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for drug driving and leaving the scene of an accident in Lakes Entrance in April last year.

A drug driver left the scene of a head-on Gippsland collision because he had to “do the banking” at work.

Todd William Bradford pleaded guilty to failing a drug test and leaving the scene of a crash in the Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

The 51-year-old had been driving to Lakes Entrance for work in “bumper-to-bumper” traffic on April 2 last year when the car in front of him slammed on their brakes.

Bradford outside the Bairnsdale Magistrates' Court.

The court heard Bradford’s car then collided head on with another vehicle.

A witness went to check on the Johnsonville man but he fled the scene, telling them he “needed to get to work”.

Police tracked Bradford down at his workplace where they drug tested him and found methamphetamine in his system.

In an interview, officers asked Bradford what happened to which he said he braked when a car in front of him suddenly stopped but his car “slid”.

The court heard Bradford left the scene because he needed to get to work to “do the banking” following the Easter long weekend and he didn’t intentionally take the drug.

He hasn’t driven since the collision.

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Magistrate Alanna Duffy placed Bradford on an adjourned undertaking to be of good behaviour for a year without a conviction.

His licence was suspended for six months.