The Clive man was driving on a damp road through drizzly weather when he crossed over Black Bridge and failed to take a bend in the road. Photo / File
The Clive man was driving on a damp road through drizzly weather when he crossed over Black Bridge and failed to take a bend in the road. Photo / File
A Clive man almost three times the legal drink driving limit miraculously escaped unscathed after he lost control of his car and crashed down a Hawke's Bay bank.
Michael Charles Lomas, 61, appeared in the Hastings District Court before Judge Geoff Rea on a drink driving charge on Tuesday.
About10.30pm on November 28, 2018, Lomas was driving his car on Mill Rd heading towards Clive.
He was driving on a damp road through drizzly weather when he crossed over Black Bridge and attempted to drive around a slight bend in the road.
According to the summary of facts he lost control of his car, smashed through a fence, uprooted small pine trees, plunged through an electric fence, before careering down a 7m bank.
Lomas' lawyer told Judge Rea that the incident had knocked his client's self-esteem and that he had been "going through a rough time".
Lomas was sentenced to 60 hours community work and was disqualified from holding a driver's licence for one year. A charge of careless driving was dropped.
