Taxi driver was twice drink-drive limit when he crashed on A55 in Flintshire
November 3, 2010
A taxi driver was two and a half times the drink-drive limit as he drove passengers along the busy A55 in Flintshire.
Paul Fitzgibbon, 47, lost control and slid sideways into some shrubbery.
A court heard yesterday how Fitzgibbon ran away from the scene but was caught by the police.
At Flintshire magistrates’ court at Mold, Fitzgibbon of Musgrave’s House in Dock Road, Connah’s Quay, admitted driving with 88 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath, compared to the legal limit of 35.
He was made the subject of an interim driving ban and the case was adjourned for sentence – with a warning that he could face prison.
Magistrates said that the case was very serious.
The accident occurred late on the afternoon of October 19 on the A55, close to the Northop turn-off.
Prosecutor Matthew Ellis said that witnesses spoke of the defendant’s erratic driving. He was seen to be in lane one, moved towards the side of the road and hit the kerb before moving back into the carriageway.
The taxi ended up sliding sideways into shrubbery at the side of the road.
An ambulance was called and the police attended.
Fitzgibbon was pointed out to police officers by ambulance paramedics as he ran away from the scene.
“The defendant was stopped and spoken to."
“He had injuries to the head and his breath smelt strongly of intoxicants."
“He was unsteady on his feet and his eyes were blood-shot,” Mr Ellis explained.
Fitzgibbon provided a positive breathtest and said he had a couple of cans earlier and then had a sleep before driving.
He was later taken to the police station and blew a reading of 88 microgrammes.
Fitzgibbon was bailed pending sentence at the end of November.
Source; http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-w ... -27589555/
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