A Malmesbury man has been banned from driving for two years following a serious collision while under the influence of alcohol.
Simon Wright, 43, of Parklands, Malmesbury, appeared at Swindon Crown Court on July 26 and pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving and drink driving. He received an 18-month suspended prison sentence, a two-year driving disqualification, and was ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work. Additionally, Wright must pay £2,000 in compensation and a £187 surcharge.
The incident occurred at approximately 4:30 pm on March 25, 2023. Wright was driving an Audi RS4 with a front seat passenger and children in the vehicle from Malmesbury to Little Somerford. Exiting Priory roundabout at high speed, Wright overtook two vehicles, lost control of the car, and skidded into the path of oncoming traffic, resulting in a collision with another vehicle.
Emergency services responded promptly to the scene, and Wright failed a breath test. He and his front seat passenger sustained injuries, while the children in the vehicle were treated for shock but were fortunately uninjured. The driver and passenger of the second vehicle were admitted to the hospital but were not seriously injured.
PC Luke Hobbs from the Roads Policing Unit condemned Wright’s actions: “This standard of driving, especially whilst under the influence of alcohol, is totally unacceptable on our roads and poses a significant danger to other road users. The fact that there were young children also in the vehicle at the time does not bear thinking about.”
Hobbs emphasized the importance of targeting dangerous and drink driving, noting these are among the fatal five offences most likely to cause serious harm or death on the roads. “We all know alcohol can give you a false sense of confidence, and unfortunately, all too often we see drivers getting behind the wheel of a car having consumed alcohol under the impression they are invincible. It should not take a serious collision like this to understand the serious consequences of your actions if you are one of these people. I am pleased that as a result of his selfish and mindless actions, Wright has been banned from our roads.”
This announcement coincides with the launch of Wiltshire Police’s summer road safety campaign, which focuses on the Fatal Five offences and carries the message that there is “no excuse” to commit any of these offences. For more information, visit the No Excuse road safety campaign website.
