Nurse three times the drink-drive limit ran into pedestrian
An auxiliary nurse working at one of Shropshire's largest hospitals lost control of his car at a roundabout while more than three times over the limit and struck a pedestrian, a court heard.
Witnesses said Evans Ofori was driving "in a crazy manner" when he mounted the kerb near the Furrows roundabout in Wellington, hitting the walker and sending him flying.
"The force of the collision knocked one of his shoes off and sent him over the bonnet," said Mrs Kate Price, prosecuting at Telford Magistrates Court.
The victim "flew into the air on impact" added Mrs Price, who said he was taken to the Princess Royal Hospital and treated for bruising and grazes.
He had subsequently been suffering nightmares and had spent time off work on sick leave, said Mrs Price.
Ofori, 62, of Kingsland in Arleston, Telford, had been drinking to mark the anniversary of the death of his son.
He admitted driving without due care and attention and failing to provide a breath specimen, and was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined a total of £465, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £28 victim surcharge.
Mr David Silcock, chairman of the bench, told Ofori: "Being in the profession you are, you have seen the results of these accidents. Obviously it could have been a lot worse than it was."
Police were called to the scene and described Ofori, who works as an auxiliary nurse at the Princess Royal, as being drunk and unsteady on his feet.
Test showed he has a 117 microgrammes of alcohol in his breath. The the legal limit is 35.
But when he was taken into custody he was unable to comply with further tests, the court heard.
Mr Shaqeel Ahmed, for Ofori, said his client, who worked at the Princess Royal, was "a hard working man" of previous good character who had held a full clean driver's licence for six years.
He said the defendant had been drinking with friends to mark the anniversary of the death of his son and had decided to drive to visit his other son in Donnington.
He admitted he had been drinking but said the alcohol had had an effect on his diabetes.
Ofori had begun to feel faint while approaching the roundabout and had begun to pull off to the side of the road to park the car and he lost control, said Mr Ahmed.
