Horsham: Drunk Driver Narrowly Avoids Head-On Collision With Police

Wednesday, 17 November 2021 06:11

A drink-driver who narrowly avoided a head-on collision with a police car has been disqualified.

Adam Baines, 20, was reported getting into his car at a pub in Horsham in September, after he'd drunk five Jack Daniels and Cokes and another shot of alcohol

The engineer from Itchingfield later told police he'd had no other way of getting home as a taxi would have cost him £30.

PC Adams and PC Dempsey from the Horsham Response Unit had been informed that Baines was driving home while intoxicated, and were trying to intercept him.

At Bashurst Hill, a narrow country lane with blind bends, they saw the headlights of Baines’s black Audi A4 approaching them at high speed.

PC Adams swerved into a ditch to avoid a head-on collision.

Baines failed to stop, despite the near collision and he drove home where he was later arrested.

He gave a breath test reading of 72 microgrammes (mcg) per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg per 100ml.

Baines, of The Wedges, Itchingfield, admitted drink-driving and dangerous driving when he appeared before Crawley Magistrates’ Court on September 20.

He then appeared for sentence at Lewes Crown Court on October 29, where he was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Baines was ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and was fined £500. He must also pay £425 costs and a £95 surcharge.

Following the case, PC Adams said:

“Baines put his own life and the lives of other road users at risk – rather than pay £30 for a taxi – when he decided to drive his car home while more than double the legal drink-drive limit.

“His disqualification means another dangerous driver has been banned from our roads.”