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A man has been sentenced to prison and disqualified from driving after careering up the A3 in the wrong direction at more than double the drink and drug drive limits.
Just before 2.15am on Sunday, 18 December 2022, officers were alerted to a van driving north on the southbound carriageway of the A3 at Thursley, narrowly missing vehicles coming the other way.
As police raced to the scene, the van was involved in a three-vehicle collision just outside Guildford causing substantial wreckage to be scattered across the carriageway.
The occupants of the other vehicles were fortunate to be able to climb from their cars prior to police arrival and received medical attention at the scene.
The van driver, Shane Mackay (DOB 11/10/1987), of Farnham, was found lying on the front seat of the van, conscious but smelling of alcohol and slurring his speech. He was cut from his vehicle and taken to hospital with minor injuries.
Having refused to provide a specimen of breath at the roadside, Mackay was arrested, and his blood was tested instead. He was found to have been driving whilst two and half times over the drug drive limit, and more than two times over the limit for drink driving, with his blood showing 172 milligrams of alcohol whilst the legal limit is 80 milligrams.
Officers were also able to use DNA to place Mackay in the driver’s seat at the time of the collision.
After initially pleading not guilty, he later changed this to a guilty plea and was given a 16-month custodial sentence for dangerous driving, at Guildford Crown Court on Thursday, 2 May.
He was also sentenced to 13 weeks for drug driving to run concurrently and disqualified from driving for four years (51 months). After this disqualification period has passed, he will be required to take an extended re-test if he wishes to obtain a new driving licence.
PS Dan Ayrton from the Surrey Roads Policing Unit said, “This case shows the shocking reality of what can happen if you choose to get behind the wheel while intoxicated through drink or drugs.
“When you see the wreckage of the vehicles involved it is sheer luck that no-one was killed or seriously injured in this case.
“Drink and drug driving will not be tolerated on Surrey’s roads and you should expect to pay the maximum penalty if you are caught.
“I am thankful to the members of the public who quickly called us to report this incident and I would encourage anyone who thinks they may be witnessing a drink or drug driver to contact us. We will act and use the full power of the law to remove dangerous drivers from our roads and protect you and your loved ones.”