Driver had vodka mixers and shots before crashing through fence and running off in Worthing

A drink driver who fled from her car after crashing through a lamppost and fence has been banned from driving.

Roxanne Benn, 24, had been out drinking with friends in Worthing but believed she was fine to drive home on July 16.

She crashed at a business premises before leaving the scene, but officers from the Roads Policing Unit were able to trace her to her home address.

In custody, Benn tested for 65 microgrammes (mcg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath.

Ms Benn revealed to officers she had had two shots of Jagermeister and three vodka lemonades on her night out.

She claimed she had “panicked” when she crashed the vehicle.

Originally denying she was the driver, Ms Benn then admitted she was, and was charged with drink-driving, failing to stop at the scene of a road traffic accident, and failing to report a road traffic accident.

She was disqualified from driving for 18 months.

The court ordered Benn, a trades painter, of Lincett Avenue, Tarring, to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and to pay £85 court costs and a £114 victim surcharge.

RPU officer PC Ana Wellfare said: “Benn was clearly in no fit state to drive her vehicle, and put her own safety as well as the safety of her passengers and other road users at great risk. She is lucky that no one was seriously injured.

“Alcohol seriously impairs a person’s ability to drive safely, and there are no excuses for drink-driving."