A 42-year-old Yorkton woman has been fined $1,700 and given a one-year driver’s licence suspension for causing a head-on collision while driving drunk.
Cindy-Lou McAllister pleaded guilty in Yorkton court March 23 to one count of driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) greater than .08.
While McAllister had no previous record, the Crown cited aggravating circumstances of BAC readings more than double the legal limit at .20 and .19 respectively, as well as, causing the accident in asking for an elevated fine.
According to the prosecutor, Todd Wellsch, McAllister and her husband had been drinking at Boston Pizza. While driving home on Laurier Avenue she steered the car into an oncoming truck.
The only injury was a gash to her husband’s forehead. He was transported to hospital, but left before receiving treatment.
The truck received extensive damage, though, and McAllister’s 2001 Cavalier was totalled.
Judge Patrick Reis explained to the defendant that because of the elevated BAC readings, the collision and the injury, he was duty bound to impose a fine significantly greater than the minimum of $1,000.
He imposed the fine of $1,700, which comes to $2,200 with the now mandatory victim surcharge, and gave her six months to pay.
