Drink driver who hit car carrying baby told court 'his wheel came off' car on A1(M)

Andrzej Kepczyk's Vauxhall Insignia collided with a woman’s Vauxhall Astra as she travelled with her five-month-old nephew on the Washington stretch of the route on Saturday, June 20.

Now the bricklayer, of Pontop Street in East Rainton, has been banned from the roads for 22 months after admitting he was over the drink-drive limit, with a test showing he had 87 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – the legal limit is 35 microgrammes.

John Garside, prosecuting at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court said the woman’s car was struck and the Insignia travelled passed at speed, collided with the central reservation and then veered across all lanes before pulling up on the hard shoulder.

"Thankfully she maintained control of her vehicle and brought it to a stop behind the defendant’s Insignia," he said.

"She remonstrated with the defendant about the speed he was going and belief that the defendant could have killed the baby in her car.

"The police were contacted and they have carried out a roadside breath test which proved positive.”

Kepczyk was taken to a police station for further checks when a roadside breath test proved positive and he told officers he had drank three beers two hours before the collision.

Ian Cassidy, mitigating, said the 52-year-old, who is married with grown-up children, had driven to a garage for repairs after an unexpected call, only to find it did not have the right kit to carry out the work.

The collision happened as he headed home.

Mr Cassidy explained: “On speaking to the defendant he’s shown me some pictures of the vehicle and what he tells me is that is passenger side wheel came off as he was driving, and that’s the reason by he lost control of the vehicle.

"That afternoon he was at home with his some and had some beers, because he wasn’t intending to drive the vehicle at all.”

The bench ordered Kepczyk, helped during the hearing through a Polish interpreter, to pay £85 costs, a victim surcharge of £45 and a fine of £475, offering him the chance to take the drink-drive rehabilitation course to reduce his disqualification if completed.

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