A sozzled mum who crashed her car on the school run leaving her daughter with serious injuries was THREE TIMES over the drink drive limit, a court has heard.
Helena Kruzewski, 50, caused a huge pile-up when she smashed into a truck after downing rum and cokes the night before.
Solihull Magistrates Court heard the care worker’s nine-year-old daughter suffered whiplash when she collided with a lorry in a head-on collision on July 22 this year.
Tests showed Kruzewski had 105mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – exactly three times the legal limit which is 35mcg.
JPs handed Kruzewski a two-year driving ban and fined her £145 after the court heard she had been drinking until 3am before getting behind the wheel to take her nine-year-old daughter to school five hours later.
Prosecutor Colin Heald said Kruzewski denied being affected by alcohol and blamed her daughter for distracting her in the moments before she ploughed her red Ford Puma hit into an oncoming lorry in Castle Bromwich, West Mids.
He said: “The defendant was taken to hospital to be checked over and her daughter was treated for whiplash.
“The defendant told police she had drunk a lot of rum and coke the previous evening and had then driven her daughter to school that morning.
“She said she had not been affected by the alcohol but became distracted by her daughter.”
Speaking from her home in Castle Bromwich following the verdict, Kruzewski said she regretted her actions and warned others not to drive following a night of heavy drinking.
She said: “I don’t touch alcohol now.
“I would just say to people to be aware that you can still be over the limit the next day and to be very aware when drinking at home.
“I did not even think that I had drank too much.
“I had worked a long shift the day before and had come back and had a drink.
“I really want to put it all behind me. I am now paying my dues for what I did.
“I have never been in trouble before and I had never even received a parking ticket in my life.
“My daughter is fine.”
