A young motorist who crashed his car in central Albury had earlier downed five stubbies of bourbon and cola.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
After the crash, Trent Cowland claimed "his foot got stuck on the accelerator" as he made a turn into Kiewa Street.
Cowland lost control of his car after turning right from Smollett Street, the Holden Commodore station wagon sliding sideways through a no-parking sign and into a power pole.
IN OTHER NEWS:
He later provided a blood-alcohol reading of 0.080.
Cowland, 21, has pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court to driving with a mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol and negligent driving.
Magistrate Richard Funston told the Albury man, 21, he could have easily been given a jail sentence for what was "a serious example of a mid-range PCA actually".
"The point is you, on the 10th of July, were driving in a certain way, you had five or six drinks," he said.
"That (no-parking sign) could have been a pedestrian.
"And then you got your foot stuck. What's that about? "Do you understand how serious this is?"
"Yes," Cowland said, "I do sir."
The crash happened about 10pm. Cowland and a passenger were heading east in Smollett Street towards the Kiewa Street intersection when he made the failed attempt to turn right.
Two witnesses to the crash called police, who on arrival saw 10 metres of tyre skid marks on the road that showed the car slid sideways into the power pole.
There was a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, which was due to Cowland drinking at the Howlong hotel between 5.30pm and 7pm.
Cowland was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for four months.
