Drink drive student hits child the morning after the night before

A drink drive student who was more than twice the limit following a heavy night out, has been banned from driving after hitting a young girl with her car.

Newcastle Geography student Lauren Clayden, had been out drinking with friends the night before, and hit an 11 year old girl who cycled into the path of her car – leaving her with a fractured skull.

Now, Clayden has been banned from driving for 12 months, and been slapped with a £500 fine. 

Clayden leaving Stirling Sheriff Court. Picture: CSNA

Clayden was breathalysed and found to have 63 microgrammes of alcohol in every 100 millilitres of breath- almost twice the legal limit- and all before midday the next day.

The child suffered head injuries including a fractured skull and the loss of hearing in one ear after being thrown up into the air by the collision.

21-year-old Clayden pleaded guilty to drink driving – but not guilty to careless driving resulting in serious injury. The prosecution said “somebody travelling behind the accused said she had been driving in a reasonable manner, within the speed limit”.

Another student driver in Newcastle said: “I can understand that happening, it is hard to tell whether you’re sober or not sometimes. But at the end of the day she was still over the limit- she should have known to be aware of it if she was drinking the night before.”

The accident has been put down to a “serious miscalculation” on the part of Clayden, who has been banned from driving for 12 months, fined £500 and referred to a drink drivers’ rehabilitation scheme.