Drink driver who travelled along A55 after losing wheel receives 30 month ban

A drink driver who continued travelling along the A55 after losing a wheel in a crash has been banned from driving for two and half years.

Mark Andrew Ward from Bangor was spotted crashing into a wall in Penmaenmawr on Saturday night before carrying on driving along the dual carriageway.

Police were alerted by a member of the public and the 33-year-old of Belmont Street was stopped at Llanfairfechan shortly before 8pm.

Ward, who was driving a silver-coloured Saab, failed the roadside breath test after providing a reading of 103mg (the legal limit being 35mg).

He was arrested on suspicion of drink driving and dangerous driving and taken to custody, where he provided a slightly lower reading of 98mg.

He was later charged with both offences and remanded to appear before Llandudno Magistrates Court yesterday where he was sentenced to a 26 week suspended prison sentence.

Ward was disqualified from driving for 30 months and must pass an extended test before receiving his licence back.

He was also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work and pay a victim surcharge of £128.

PC Daniel Edwards said: “Ward’s driving was reckless and completely irresponsible, and it is only by pure luck that nobody was seriously injured or even killed.

“Choosing to drive when impaired by alcohol is dangerous and unacceptable.

“Unfortunately, we have seen too often, the devastation caused by drink driving, and so we are committed to making the roads safer with our robust strategy around enforcing the Fatal 5 offences which includes drink driving.”