A Craigavon man who collided head-on with another vehicle because he was on the wrong side of the road has been disqualified for six months.
A district judge said the 25-year-old was driving too fast for the road conditions and was lucky there were not more serious injuries.
Dannis Dusevicius, of Bluestone Hall, pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Court heard that on September 2, police were called to a two-vehicle road traffic accident on the Clanrolla Road, Craigavon.
A Mini Cooper had collided head-on with a BMW; both vehicles were on the Mini’s side of the road and the BMW was travelling on the wrong side at the time of impact.
Court heard that the defendant, the driver of the BMW, had left the scene for a short time but had returned before police arrived.
Officers spoke to Dusevicius, who claimed he had come around a bend and lost control of the car.
Court was told passengers in the Mini suffered various injuries from pains in the chests to bruises on their legs.
During interview at Lurgan Custody Suite, the defendant stated he had lost control because of the wet road conditions.
Court heard that Dusevicius appeared before the court with no licence having been disqualified in December for a drink driving offence.
Defence solicitor Joseph McDonald stated: “This was a small country road. My client was travelling between 35 and 40 miles per hour.
“From photos, some loose gravel can be seen which is what seems to have caused him to lose control.”
District Judge Bernie Kelly said: “He was driving too fast for the road conditions.
“There were children in that other car, do you know what kind of damage you could have caused?
“Colliding with the vehicle concerned him so much that he went out two months later and drove whilst drunk.”
Dusevicius was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to pay a fine of £100, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 10 weeks.
