Drunken doctor crashed into bus

A trainee doctor who drove the wrong way along a one-way street and hit a bus after downing a litre of whisky has been banned from driving for three years.

Nishant Kumar, aged 24, appeared before West Bromwich Magistrates Court yesterday.

Magistrates were told that the Birmingham University medical student crashed head-on into a bus along Halesowen Street in Rowley Regis when he got behind the wheel of his Nissan Micra nearly three times the legal limit.

The court heard Kumar, who was due to qualify as a doctor next year, was an alcoholic who had been sober for seven months before the crash.

Arrested

Kumar, of Swindon, Wiltshire, has already volunteered the information to the medical council and is waiting to find out if he can continue with his training. The defendant had already pleaded guilty to driving while above the legal alcohol level.

Mrs Clare Davis, prosecuting, said police arrested him at the scene of the collision on July 31. His lowest breath test reading was 125mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, more than three times the legal limit of 35mg.

She said he told officers he had consumed a litre of whisky. Mr James Cooper, defending, said Kumar could not remember why he started drinking on this occasion and had no memory of the collision.

Magistrates imposed an 18-month community order, an 18-month supervision order and he was disqualified for 36 months.

He must also complete a drink-impaired drivers course.