Dangerous driver was drunk when he caused head-on collision in Bassetlaw

Ben Rhodes was driving a Ford Transit van on Doncaster Road, Langold, at 2.50am, on May 28, when he tried to overtake a silver BMW, said prosecutor Sanjay Jerath.

But when he pulled back in to avoid a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction, he clipped the rear end of the BMW and sent it into the path of the oncoming vehicle.

Rhodes attempted to flee the scene but was detained, and he was abusive to officers.

Although he gave a positive reading for alcohol at the roadside he failed to provide a breath sample.

Dashcam footage showed he was travelling at 70mph in a 30mph zone, mounting the pavement and losing control, Mr Jerath added.

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The front end of one vehicle was "completely destroyed," he said, and Rhodes "put multiple persons at risk."

Pamela Coxon, mitigating, said he made full and frank admissions and was clearly remorseful, expressing concern about the other road users.

She said the father-of-two, who recently stopped taking antidepressants, had been drinking heavily the night before, but the decision to drive was "not his usual behaviour."

Ms Coxon said his engineering job, which involves travelling up and down the country, would be jeopardised by the inevitable ban.

Rhodes, 24, of East Street, Rotherham, admitted dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen for analysis, when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court, on Thursday.

Magistrates adjourned sentence until August 5 for a probation report to be prepared and imposed an interim driving ban.

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