JAIL FOR WRONG-WAY M25 SMASH
A WALTHAM Cross man was jailed after driving his company's Mercedes the wrong way along the M25 and crashing into a petrol tanker.
David Rooney, 27, of Trinity Lane, who had downed 10 pints of Guinness and Sambuca to celebrate his birthday, caused one terrified driver to swerve out of the way before he jack-knifed into the tanker, which burst into flames.
Fortunately the tanker was empty and Rooney and the driver escaped unharmed, St Albans Crown Court heard on Friday (August 22).
Ruth Field, prosecuting, said Rooney went onto the motorway's westbound carriageway in the early hours of May 31 at junction 20 near Watford and travelled eastbound in completely the wrong direction.
Despite narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a car, he made no attempt to stop the Mercedes C200 and continued in the same direction into the path of the petrol tanker.
Tanker driver Ian Notman tried unsuccessfully to swerve to the offside, and both vehicles were written off in the ensuing crash.
Rooney gave a breath-alcohol reading nearly three times the limit, Ms Field added.
When questioned by police he said he had been out in London celebrating his birthday. He had got a taxi home with friends but, for some unknown reason, decided to go out for a drive, Ronney told the court.
Rooney admitted dangerous driving and driving above the alcohol limit.
Defence barrister Brian Stork said Rooney was of previous good character and that nobody was hurt.
"He is as respectable a young man as there could be. He made a dreadful mistake - it was an awful error of judgement that night. He is deeply ashamed."
Mr Stork added that Rooney worked as a quantity surveyor and was currently involved in two multi-million pound projects.
Jailing him for six months Recorder Christopher Vajda QC said: "It was by sheer luck no-one was killed or seriously injured."
Subject: bloke in a Mercedes read dis 
Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:11 pm
