Drink driver failed to stop after head-on collision

A drink driver who failed to stop after crashing head-on with a car in Peterborough has been banned from driving for almost two years.

Natalia Watkowska, 31, was arrested at her home in Cecil Road, Dogsthorpe, Peterborough, shortly after the collision in nearby Dogsthorpe Road, on 8 December.

Watkowska was caught on dashcam footage driving on the wrong side of the road before hitting the oncoming car. Witnesses saw her get out further up the road and walk away.

She was charged with failing to stop at the scene of a collision and drink driving after she blew 86 in custody – more than two times the legal limit of 35.

She was disqualified from driving for 22 months and fined £120 after admitting the offences at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday (3 January).

PC Callum Watson, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “Driving under the influence of drink or drugs puts the offender and other road users at risk, and it is fortunate no one was seriously injured in the collision.

“If you have concerns or information about someone getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, please report it to us.”

The arrest was part of the force’s festive campaign which ran throughout December, cracking down on drink and drug drivers, and saw more than 80 suspected drink and drug drivers arrested across Cambridgeshire.

The force operates a dedicated, confidential hotline – 0800 032 0845 – which is available 24/7 and allows the reporting of those believed to be driving under the influence.

Information about drink driving, the law and the penalties, can be found on the force’s dedicated road safety information webpages.