Millie Frances Crossman, 36, now unemployed, was before the Gore District Court yesterday, for dangerous driving last month and refusing to give a blood specimen.
The court heard she was working as a courier and driving one of her employer’s vans on the Clinton Highway, south of Balclutha, in the evening of October 9.
While travelling south, she rounded an easy right-hand turn and crossed the centre line entirely into the path of oncoming traffic, the police summary said.
The oncoming cars had to brake suddenly and veer to the left to avoid collision.
Then she turned around to head north on the highway and again, about 10 minutes later, rounded an "easy" corner and crossed the centre line.
Again oncoming traffic had to brake and veer to the left to avoid collision.
The advised speed limit around both corners was 85kmh.
Crossman’s employer’s tracking data showed the van pulled into a nearby rest area for a time before again travelling south.
Police had been made aware of her dangerous driving through her employer, who had received two complaints about her driving from the public.
She and the van were found by police parked on grass on the roadside.
A scene examination revealed she had tried to make another right turn, lost control of the van and spun across the centre line, landing on the opposite side of the road, police said.
When spoken to she appeared intoxicated and admitted to having drunk "a couple of wines".
She was required to take a breath test, but refused, and in a patrol car she again refused.
She was then taken to a medical centre for a blood test, but at the facility she refused to give a specimen, saying she did not have to and had done "nothing wrong".
Defence counsel John Fraser said his client had no memory of crossing the centre line, nor the accident, and the incident might have been caused by a "medical event".
"It’s not often you see this type of offending from a driver," he said.
Crossman’s lack of memory could also have been caused by a head injury from the crash, he said.
The court heard she had one relevant previous conviction of drink-driving in 2017.
Judge Mark Williams said the reality was she had consumed alcohol, refused to co-operate with police and was a danger to other road users.
He said it was only through "sheer luck" she did not cause any harm.
Crossman was sentenced to 40 hours’ community work and disqualified for six months.
