A THURGOONA football player had cocaine in his system when he fell asleep and crashed while driving with his three children in the vehicle.
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Daniel Mark Kannenberg, 35, was hospitalised after the smash in Albury earlier this year, but managed to avoid serious injury.
He had taken his children in a black Toyota Kluger to watch the Twenty20 cricket in Melbourne on January 2.
They stayed in the city until about 10pm before Kannenberg began the drive back to Thurgoona.
The SUV was travelling north on the Hume Highway at Albury, about 200 metres from the East Street off-ramp, when the 35-year-old nodded off.
Police facts tendered to Albury Local Court show the car veered out of control.
“The accused has fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to swerve across lane two and colliding with the brifen fencing that divided the roadway,” the facts state.
“This impact has caused the vehicle to spin several times before coming to rest in lane two, about 50 metres up the roadway.”
Every airbag in the car was deployed and the vehicle was damaged.
Police were called to the smash and arrived at the scene a short time later.
All four people inside the car were taken to hospital due to injuries.
A breath test revealed Kannenberg did not have any alcohol in his system and he gave his version of events to the officers.
But the police were suspicious.
Kannenberg had a blood sample taken when he arrived at the Albury hospital.
“Due to police’s observations and information they had received, the blood vial was tested for the presence of drugs,” police facts state.
A test revealed the driver had 0.04 mg of cocaine in his system per litre of blood.
He was charged with driving with the drug in his system and pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court last week.
Kannenberg has held his licence since January 1997 and has priors for speeding, disobeying traffic lights and using a phone while driving.
He was convicted and fined $500 and was disqualified from driving for three months.
The Thurgoona Football Club defender will need to organise a lift to Sandy Creek for Saturday’s game.
His team will take on Mitta United in the Tallangatta and District Football League grand final.
Kannenberg joined the Bulldogs in 2011 and used to play soccer for the Boomers FC.
