A drink driving pregnant mum-of-two has been locked up after causing a horrific car crash while six times over the limit.
Four members of one family were injured, three seriously, when Charlotte Aitken's Audi veered onto the wrong side of the road and smashed into their car head-on. A court sheriff said it was clear that Aitken had been "highly impaired" by the amount of alcohol she'd taken, and she was lucky that no one had been killed. Aitken, 37, of Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, admitted causing serious injury and endangering lives by driving dangerously while over the drink limit. She was jailed for two years.
Airdrie Sheriff Court heard the crash happened in Cumbernauld on February 28 last year. Kevin Morrow, prosecuting, said it involved a Hyundai being driven by a woman whose 13-year-old son was a front seat passenger. Her husband and daughter, who was 21, were in the back seats.
Mr Morrow told the court: "The collision happened about 6.30pm when it was dark. The driver behind Aitken saw her cross on to the opposing carriageway. He sounded his horn and flashed his lights to alert her to the oncoming Hyundai. The Hyundai driver saw the accused's headlights but did not have time to react and the Audi hit them. The accused, who was travelling at between 40 and 50 miles an hour in the 40 miles per hour zone, did not apply her brakes prior to the collision."
The unconscious female Hyundai driver had to be cut free from the wreckage. She suffered a deep cut to her kneecap that required surgery as well as five fractured ribs and a broken wrist. Her daughter suffered bowel damage and underwent two operations while her husband had fractures to his ribs and breastbone and also underwent bowel surgery.
The couple's son escaped with bruising but the court heard he has had to attend for cognitive behaviour treatment since the crash, reports the Daily Record. Mr Morrow said: "A passing motorist helped the accused, who was semi-conscious, out of her extensively damaged car. She was taken to hospital for treatment to a leg injury. There was a strong smell of alcohol in her vehicle and she gave a positive breath test."
Tests showed she had no less than 305mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood, while the legal limit in Scotland is 50mg. Defence lawyer David Storrie said Aitken, who has two teenage children and is 12 weeks pregnant, accepted full responsibility for the crash, adding: "She expresses remorse and shame for putting people's lives in danger. A social worker says she was distraught when discussing the impact the crash has had on the victims. Since the offence she has taken steps to address her alcohol consumption and completed a 16-week treatment programme as an inpatient. She has reduced her alcohol intake drastically."
Passing sentence, Sheriff Paul Haran told Aitken her driving had been "highly impaired by your consumption of alcohol". The sheriff said: "Four persons in the other car, including a child, suffered injuries that resulted in some cases in multiple surgeries. You are extremely fortunate that this incident did not result in fatalities."
"I acknowledge that you were at the time in the grip of alcohol dependency and impacted by poor mental health. It's to your credit that you have taken steps to address the issue. I take account of your personal circumstances and the fact you are expecting another child. However, the level of culpability was high . . . and I see no alternative to a custodial sentence."
She was sentenced to two years in jail, and the sheriff also disqualified Aitken from driving for seven years and ordered her to resit her test.