Uckfield collision: dangerous driver who was over alcohol and drugs limit disqualified

Police said Elliott Leonard-Diss drove in a ‘reckless manner’ between Uckfield and Hailsham and was recorded overtaking and undertaking in ‘a prolonged period of poor driving’.

A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “Eventually he lost control of a silver Mercedes and crashed into other vehicles.”

Police said Leonard-Diss was disqualified from driving for three years at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, October 10.

Sussex Police said: “The court heard how Leonard-Diss, a property developer of Street End Lane, Heathfield, was driving between 4am and 7am of May 28 this year.

“Police were called to a three-car collision on the A22 Uckfield bypass at about 7.15am. Leonard-Diss had attempted to undertake traffic using a layby, but lost control and ended up in a bush.

“A roadside breath test and a roadside DrugWipe test showed he was over the alcohol limit and cocaine limit. He tested positive for 81 microgrammes (uhg) of alcohol per 100 millilitres (ml) of breath. The legal limit is 35uhg of alcohol per 100ml of breath. In a separate blood test he tested positive for 82uhg of the chemical benzolecgonine, a breakdown of cocaine, per litre of blood.”

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Police explained that the legal limit is 50uhg of the chemical per litre of blood.

Investigating officer PC Jessica Crump said: “Leonard-Diss showed no regard for other road users and it is sheer luck that he didn’t cause a fatality that day. There is no place for drink or drug driving on our roads and anyone contemplating driving dangerously will be dealt with. We are grateful to so many people who came forward after our appeal for information about his driving that morning. We are pleased that a dangerous driver has been taken off our roads.”

Sussex Police said Leonard-Diss was sentenced to a 14-month suspended prison sentence and the court ordered him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work. Police said he must also complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) sessions, as well as pay a £187 surcharge.