Drunk driver crashed after driving wrong way on A14

A woman who drove the wrong way on the A14 while under the influence of alcohol before causing a crash was banned from driving and given a suspended sentence.

Allison Lefebvre was involved in a collision on the westbound carriageway of the road between Sproughton and Whitehouse at about 20:30 GMT on 17 December.

The 59-year-old, from Hawksmead, in Bicester, Oxfordshire, later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

At Ipswich Magistrates' Court, she was given a 12-month custodial sentence, suspended for 24 months and disqualified from driving for 28 months.

She was also given a 10-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and ordered to pay £400 in compensation to the victim, £187 victim surcharge and £85 in costs

PC Regan Bradshaw, of the Roads and Armed Policing Team, said Lefebvre's actions put both "her life and the lives of others at risk".

"This was an incredibly dangerous incident that could have had a very different outcome and it is extremely fortunate no one was killed or seriously injured," he said.

Officers had been called to the scene following reports that a white Mini One had been driving eastbound on the westbound carriageway.

The vehicle, which was being driven by Lefebvre, was then involved in a collision with a Peugeot 208, while an HGV was also damaged in the incident.

Lefebvre then failed a roadside breath test, providing a reading of 96 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - almost three times the legal limit.

After being arrested at the scene and taken to hospital – where she remained for several days for treatment - she refused to provide a specimen of blood.

The driver of the Peugeot – a girl in her teens - was also taken to hospital, later telling police that she had suffered with chronic back pain.

She also said the collision had caused her to suffer with anxiety, she had trouble sleeping and was fearful of driving on dual carriageways.

"The driver of the Peugeot continues to feel the physical and psychological impact of the collision," added Bradshaw.

"It caused her to be off work for two months and has severely affected how she goes about her day-to-day life.

"I can only imagine the horror of the drivers of the other vehicles as they saw a car coming towards them on their side of the dual carriageway."

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