Australian water polo representative Nick Dempsey has been fined $700 and put off the road for nine months on a drink-driving charge.
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Dempsey, a probationary driver, fell asleep at the wheel on the busy Newcastle inner-city bypass and another driver was forced to take desperate evasive action to avoid a collision, The Border Mail reports.
The other driver's car left the road at 90km/h, went over a grass embankment, through a wire mesh fence and became airborne before stopping on the other side of the embankment.
A court heard yesterday how another motorist stopped, checked on the driver, who escaped from his car without injury, and rang the police.
Officers soon arrived and found Dempsey slumped over in the driver's seat.
His car was still running and it was in drive.
The car's brake lights were illuminated and it had P plates attached, with an officer turning the engine off.
Several attempts were made by police to wake Dempsey before he finally roused, and a later breath analysis gave a blood alcohol reading of 0.118.
Dempsey, 19, of Swansea, appeared in Albury Local Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to a charge of mid-range drink-driving.
Magistrate Tony Murray said after reading the tendered police facts: "He is so, so lucky that the other person was not injured.
"Objectively this is one of the more serious drink-driving matters to come before the court."
The accident happened about 1am on December 7; it was about 500 metres past the Warners Bay turn-off where Dempsey tried to turn his car on the bypass.
Dempsey had tried to break through wire lane balustrades so he could travel north along the bypass.
When the other driver came along, Dempsey's vehicle had no lights on and was parked across both lanes, making evasive action necessary.
Solicitor Mark Cronin said it was sad a high-achieving young man like Dempsey had found himself before a court.
Mr Cronin said Dempsey was doing a building/construction degree at university in Newcastle and training for water polo.
He was working two jobs at a surf shop and hotel.
He said the repair bill for the other vehicle was $6500, which would be paid in the next 14 days.
Mr Murray convicted Dempsey, imposing a $700 fine and the disqualification.
