POLICE were forced to drive nearly double the speed limit in a residential area to catch a young Orange driver who was drunk, unlicensed, uninsured and ended up crashing his car into a pole and a tree.
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Matthew John Patterson, of Brunswick Street, was initially charged with six offences including mid-range drink-driving, driving in a manner dangerous and engaging police in a pursuit, however, the pursuit charge was withdrawn in Orange Local Court on Thursday.
Patterson pleaded guilty to the rest of the charges.
The 22-year-old could not free himself from the car after he crashed it, but several cans of alcohol rolled freely from the vehicle as police tried to help the trapped man about 1am on March 15.
Police were routinely patrolling Byng Street when officers flagged down Patterson’s vehicle for a random breath test. Officers followed the vehicle down Dalton Street, where it was about 150 metres ahead of them.
Amended police facts said officers had to drive about 70km/h and then90 km/h, in a 50km/h speed zone, into Heatherbrae Parade.
Patterson then came upon a speed hump which he hit at a speed high enough to cause sparks to come from underneath the car.
Police lost sight of the vehicle and later came across it embedded in a tree.
Investigations established Patterson’s Toyota left the roadway shortly after driving over the speed bump, skidding about 36 metres before crashing into a concrete light pole and becoming embedded in the tree.
Patterson was stabilised at the scene and taken to hospital.
No one else was injured during the incident, however, a Mitsubishi Lancer parked in the driveway of a home on Heatherbrae Parade sustained damage as a result of debris from the crashing car.
Patterson had a blood-alcohol recording of 0.112.
He will be sentenced at a later date.