Excited student accidentally crashes newly bought car after drinking in Dagenham

Excited at her brother’s new car, a student who had been drinking jumped into the drivers seat but accidentally reversed into the car behind.

Erika Stasytyte landed a disqualification from driving after she had been drinking with her brother and his friends when they went to buy an Audi A3 car in Standfield Road, Dagenham.

The 22-year-old, thrilled at the purchase, got into the drivers seat, telling her brother: “You can teach me to drive,” before mistakenly knocking the automatic vehicle into reverse and hitting a parked car behind.

She pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court yesterday.

Steve Holliday, defending Stasytyte, of Standfield Road, Dagenham, said his client had already paid £530 to the owner of the other car for the damage.

He said: “She told me she would quite happily never get back into the front seat of a car again.

“This matter has been so traumatic for her that it has scared her off from driving for life.”

Deputy district judge Greaves said: “Fortunately in this case it was a damage only incident. But had you not been drinking I suspect that it wouldn’t have happened at all.”

He disqualified Stasytyte, who attends Newham College, from driving for 16 months for drink driving and fined her £250.

He chose not to penalise her for the two other offences but ordered court costs totalling £110 to be paid.