Ashfield community nurse 'lucky to be alive' after driving drunk to see a friend and trashing her car in Derbyshire town
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Kerry Hyder smashed her car into a lamppost before rolling it twice into the front garden of a property, destroying a gate, Chesterfield Magistrates’ Court was told on Monday, September 14.
Following the incident, which happened in Alfreton Road, South Normanton, on March 14, and based on the extent of damage to her vehicle, she told onlookers that “she couldn’t believe she had walked away from that”, said Robert Carr, prosecuting.
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Hide AdHe said: “She was breath-tested at the side of the road and she failed that, but she was not able to produce any further samples at the hospital, so she was de-arrested for drink driving.”
He said that Hyder, 40, of George Street, Sutton had blown twice the legal drink drive limit on the roadside and it was unclear why further samples had not been taken.
Hyder admitted a charge of dangerous driving when she appeared before the court.
Mitigating, John Wilford said Hyder had been drinking at home, was upset, and decided to drive to Pinxton to see a friend.
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Hide AdHe said: “She had had a very stressful day at work and she had just discovered that her mother had cancer and, sadly, her mother has now died. It was the emotional state she had got into and she decided to go and see a friend.”
He added that she should be able to carry on working for the NHS but would have to change her role because her current position involved a lot of driving.
Hyder was banned from driving for 18 months and must take an extended driving test before she can drive again. She was also fined £900 and ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £90 victim surcharge.
Sentencing, District Judge Andrew Davison said: “I am delighted that you are here today to come to court because the images I have seen of the wreckage are horrific, and you walked away from that relatively unscathed.”