Four-times-over drunk whose stranded car is hit by a train walks from court with bond, ban
A woman whose car was struck by a train in Brighton got so hammered downing wines, vodkas and strong liqueurs she told police she couldn’t remember how her car ended up stuck on the railway tracks, a court has heard.
Inner South
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A woman was so drunk on her drive home from a friend’s house, she couldn’t recall how she’d ended up stuck on railway tracks.
Siobhan Hewett was extremely lucky not to have been killed when her silver hatchback was struck by a train at the New St and Beach Rd crossing in Brighton.
The train driver applied the emergency brakes, but it was too late to avoid a crash.
A four-times-over the legal limit Hewett had managed to stagger out of her car just before the impact, and was found in a dazed and disorderly state standing by the tracks.
The 46-year-old Murrumbeena chef had cooked up a recipe for disaster by downing wines, vodkas and liqueur at a pal’s house before getting behind the wheel.
The Sandringham line had to be closed for hours after the smash, with train travellers loaded onto buses to continue their journey.
Hewett pleaded guilty to drink-driving at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court this morning.
The court heard about 5am on September 15 last year a train driver noticed headlights facing towards him as he rounded the bend after leaving Hampton station.
He initially believed it was another train coming the other way, but with about 80m to go he shockingly realised a car was stuck on the line.
He tried to stop but was unable to pull up in time, smashing into the car about 20km/h and pushing it several metres along the tracks.
No-one on the train was hurt.
When police arrived they found Hewitt in a confused state, smelling strongly of alcohol and saying she didn’t know how her car got onto the tracks.
She was breath-tested and blew .211, and lost her licence on the spot.
She said she had been at a mate’s Moorabbin house and had drunk one glass of wine, one vodka and four Jägermeister liqueurs that evening.
This was not her first drink-driving indiscretion – she has a prior within the last 10 years for another over-the-limit offence – meaning her mandatory ban would be doubled.
Her defence lawyer said Hewett was extremely ashamed, embarrassed and “incredibly remorseful” for her mistake.
She said the car was written off and she was being punished financially, having to get the bus to work and Ubers home from her chef job each night.
She said since the accident Hewett, who suffered from anxiety and depression, had done a road trauma awareness course and written a letter of apology to the train driver.
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Magistrate Therese McCarthy said it was extremely lucky no-one was hurt.
“You were four times over the limit on a train track, it created a huge risk for you and for other people,” Ms McCarthy said.
“It is of immense credit to the train driver you survived this.
“I am convinced you have learnt a very hard lesson.”
Hewett was given a 12-month good behaviour bond, ordered to pay $400 to the court fund and disqualified from driving for 42 months, backdated to September.