A Sudbury woman who caused a two-vehicle collision while driving drunk has been fined $2,001 and stripped of her driver’s licence for 15 months.
“Obviously, the reading indicates you had a significant amount of alcohol in your system,” Ontario Court Justice Ronald Boivin told Catherine Bryant in Sudbury court. “That, coupled with the accident, you were a danger to the public and yourself and this court agrees.”
Bryant, 36, had pleaded guilty impaired driving and dangerous driving concerning the Jan. 4 collision. She was fined $2,000 on the impaired driving charge and $1 on the dangerous driving charge.
“I know what I did was wrong,” Bryant told Boivin.
The court heard that about 9:30 p.m. that day, Greater Sudbury Police officers were dispatched to a collision at Regent and Bouchard streets. When they arrived, officers discovered that one vehicle had rear-ended the other and the driver of the following vehicle – Bryant – appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
While at police headquarters, Bryant was in and out of consciousness, so she was taken to Health Sciences North. A blood sample was taken.
Bryant was released from hospital the following day.
The blood sample was then sent to the Centre of Forensic Sciences for analysis and it was determined a blood/alcohol level of 200 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood was present. The legal allowable level while driving is 80 mg in 100 ml of blood.
“She remembers going out with friends — that is all — and woke up in hospital,” said Bryant’s lawyer, Denis Michel. “She admits she had been drinking alcohol … It’s either the accident that jarred her memory or the alcohol.”
Assistant Crown attorney Jenna Ricard said Bryant had no prior record and was taking responsibility for her actions.
The fines and licence suspension Boivin issued had been suggested in a joint sentencing submission by the Crown and Michel.
Source: The Sudbury Star