Drink-driver films herself crashing into parked car

The footage shows 41-year-old Louise Willard swerving along the A27 in East Sussex at 70 mph and mounting the grass verge while crossing a busy roundabout.

She then narrowly misses passing cars, trees, hedges and roadworks while travelling at up to 50 mph on the A259 and country lanes before crashing into an Audi A4 in Bexhill. She initially reversed and drove off before stopping nearby.

Police were called at around 5.30 pm on 4 April by two members of the public who were worried about the actions of the driver of the white Vauxhall Corsa.

Willard, of Bexhill, failed a roadside breathalyser test after being found with 94 mcg of alcohol per 100 ml of breath in her system – nearly three times the 35 mcg legal limit.

She was charged with drink-driving and failing to stop after a crash and pleaded guilty at Hastings Magistrates’ Court last Wednesday.

Willard was disqualified from driving for 24 months and sentenced to a 12-month community order to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work, and has to pay £170 in costs and victim surcharge.

Pc Nathan Langley, of the Sussex Police Polegate Roads Policing Unit, said the ‘shocking’ footage was released to highlight the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol.

He added: ‘The scary thing is this isn’t a particularly unusual or extraordinary example of drink-driving: the driver has displayed a number of characteristics which you would typically expect. What you wouldn’t expect, of course, is for someone in such a state to get behind the wheel of their car.’