29-year-old Lucy Wilton of Northcliff Gardens, Shanklin has been sentenced to 8 weeks in prison – suspended for 12 months – after crashing off Coppins Bridge and into the River Medina whilst nearly 4 times the drink drive limit.
As first reported by Island Echo, a full-scale emergency response was launched during the early hours of Saturday 18th February when a Vauxhall Corsa left the carriageway before ending up in the River Medina in the heart of Newport.
Thanks to the quick actions of local Police, who arrived just 90 seconds after the crash, Miss Wilton escaped serious injury or possibly even death. It was said at the time that if the water was any deeper she may well have drowned.
The Isle of Wight Magistrates Court today (Tuesday) heard how Wilton, an estate agent, went out with friends to the Hogshead pub on High Street, Newport at around 18:30 on Friday 17th. By 01:15 she had left and went to get cash from a cash point in order to catch a taxi home, but realising she didn’t have her card with her, decided to get into her vehicle and drive off.
CCTV operators followed Wilton around Coppins Bridge at the wheel of the Corsa, owned by her employer Watson Bull & Porter, witnessing her undertake another car before crashing off the road. The CCTV footage was shown in the court room.
Wilton blew 130 on the evidential breathalyzer at just after 04:00, nearly 3 hours after the crash. The legal limit is 35 (microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath).
Wilton, who pleaded guilty and is said to have no previous convictions, has been sentenced to 8 weeks in custody – suspended for 12 months – and ordered to pay £200 in costs. She has also been disqualified from driving for 32 months and ordered to complete 25 days rehabilitation with 100 hours unpaid work.
Magistrate Ann Evans told Wilton that she was very lucky not to have been seriously injured or killed and was close to killing someone else having been just inches away from the other car, as seen on CCTV.
