She sped away after hitting the first one – only to hit another
Drink-driving gran Amanda Smith(Image: Hull Live)
A heavy-drinking grandmother crashed her car into two other vehicles during a shocking late-night “moment of madness” on a busy dual carriageway. The Vauxhall Astra suddenly hit the first car without warning and scraped along the whole length of it before being “lifted” from the road.
Drink-driver Amanda Smith sped away from the scene but she soon hit a second vehicle and her own car became entangled in it, Hull Crown Court heard. Smith, 41, of Amethyst Road, Greatfield estate, Hull, admitted dangerous driving, drink-driving and possessing a knife in public on September 5.
Harry Bradford, prosecuting, said that police in an unmarked car were in stationary traffic on a busy dual carriageway in Holderness Road, east Hull, at 11.30pm when they heard a loud bang and some shouting. They saw Smith’s grey Vauxhall Astra hit a red car in the left-hand lane and scrape along the entire length of the other vehicle.
Smith’s car was “lifted” from the road and she briefly stopped before suddenly accelerating away at speed. The car detached itself from the damaged other vehicle, which had smoke coming from it.
The police illuminated their flashing blue lights and chased Smith. She entered a bus lane and undertook several other cars. The police activated their sirens and continued the pursuit.
Smith’s Astra hit a stationary blue car with such force that her car lifted up from the road and became entangled with the other vehicle. There was smoke and debris.
An officer released a police dog and Smith said: “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I did that. I had only just got my licence back.” She smelled of alcohol and was arrested.
“Police searched the vehicle,” said Mr Bradford. “A knife was in the driver’s side door of the car. It was a black-handled kitchen knife. The defendant was stumbling around slurring her words.”
A breath test at the police station revealed that Smith had 101mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg. During police interview, she made no comment to all questions.
Smith had convictions for five previous offences offences, including failing to provide a breath specimen in January 2021, when she was banned from driving for two years. The ban was reduced after she completed a course and she was not banned at the time of the latest offences.
Molly Minter, mitigating, said that Smith was ashamed of her actions and the responsibility fell squarely on her shoulders. “She knew it was wrong,” said Miss Minter.
“This was a moment of madness, a moment where, in desperation, she turned to alcohol. This was an incredibly dangerous decision to have made.
“This was out of character behaviour that was fuelled and caused by excessive alcohol use. She has now halved her alcohol consumption already.”
The knife was in the car because Smith had recently moved property and the blade fell out of one of the boxes. Unemployed Smith had two children and she was a grandmother.
Recorder Andrew Haslam KC told Smith: “It was a terrible piece of driving. It was a miracle that no one was seriously injured. You were three times the legal limit. That’s a lot of alcohol.
“A car is just like any other weapon. By driving dangerously under the influence of alcohol, you put yourself at serious risk of injury or death but, more importantly still, you put other members of the public at risk of serious injury or death.
“It was sheer luck that no one was seriously injured or died from your driving that night, from the high level of alcohol in your body that night and your state of intoxication.”
Smith was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, a six-month 7pm to 7am curfew and 15 days’ rehabilitation. She was banned from driving for three years and she must pass an extended retest before she can drive legally again.