A DRINK driving P-plater who crashed at 150km/h while taking a Snapchat video has been banned from driving for 16 months and fined $2000.
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Tahlyshia Potts, 19, of Dennington Rise, Dennington, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to drink driving and driving in a dangerous manner.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose asked why on earth would someone who had been drinking try and take a Snapchat video while driving at 150km/h around a bend.
She questioned why anyone would film themselves while travelling at such an “outrageous speed”.
“You are so lucky to be here and not seriously hurt or even killed,” she said.
“You made a very very poor decision. It could have had far reaching consequences. You could be here on a culpable driving charge and facing serving many years of imprisonment.
“You are just very lucky. You are a young person with no prior court appearances and I’m very confident you have learnt your lesson.”
Police said that at 9.40pm on August 21 Potts was driving on the Warrnambool-Caramut Road in a new Mazda work car near Winslow.
She was holding her mobile phone and taking a Snapchat video while driving at 150km/h but failed to negotiate a bend and lost ccontrol.
Potts crashed through a road sign, into trees and collided with a power pole.
The road was wet and the car flipped onto its side.
Potts was uninjured but the new car was an insurance write-off.
She later recorded an alcohol reading of .164.
Defence counsel Alex McCulloch said his client had a good family background and still had her job.
He said Potts had been drinking on the night, failed to get a ride home and made a “bad” and “foolish mistake” of deciding to drive home.
The solicitor said his client had met with nearby residents who assisted at the time of the crash who couldn’t believe she had walked away from the accident without a scratch.
Potts has also been approached by police officers to attend schools and talk about her experience.
The magistrate encouraged Potts to become involved in talking about her accident and the serious ramifications it had and could have had on her life.