A drink-driver flipped his car on a dual carriageway in busy morning traffic before making off on foot.
Ethan Bell injured himself and his passenger when he crashed his Vauxhall Corsa on the A189, near Blyth, shortly before 10 in the morning. But, rather than stay with the vehicle, the 20-year-old fled on foot, leaving passers-by to phone the police, a court heard.
Officers attended and managed to locate Bell nearby and he was arrested after failing a roadside breath test. He later gave a reading of 99mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath when the legal limit is just 35mcg.
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Bell, of Ealing Court, in Cramlington, appeared at South East Northumberland Magistrates' Court this week to plead guilty to driving with excess alcohol and failing to stop after a road accident. He was given a 12-month community order and must do 160 hours of unpaid work.
Prosecutor, Greg Flaxen, said police attended a one-vehicle crash on the southbound carriageway on the A189 at around 9.50am on March 18 this year. Mr Flaxen added: "There were dry conditions. The officer says that they approached a male detained by members of public. They said there were two two males attempting to flee from the vehicle.
"The members of public had detained one but didn't know if he was the driver. The officers did a quick search and the defendant was located a short distance from the crash. He identified himself as the driver. He appeared intoxicated, he was slurring his speech and swaying. He had lacerations to his body but said he'd fallen over."
The court heard that Bell, an apprentice joiner with no past convictions, later told police "I woke up and thought I was sound and I thought I was alright to drive". Bell suffered cuts to his arms, while his passenger suffered scratches, Mr Flaxen said.
Stewart Hay, defending, said Bell had been drinking the night before and genuinely thought he was fine to drive. Mr Hay told magistrates: "It's a little car. He panicked and ran away but, when the police stopped him, he makes a statement that he's the driver."
As well as the community order, Bell was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £114 victim surcharge and was banned from the roads for 25 months.
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