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Daily Mail
By BEN ENDLEY
PUBLISHED: 19:11, 21 February 2014 | UPDATED: 12:51, 22 February 2014
This is the horrifying moment a lorry driver is forced to swerve out of the way as a drunk female care assistant drives the wrong way up the M5.
Katy Homer, 26, joined the southbound carriageway at junction two for Oldbury and drove her Vauxhall Astra north along the hard shoulder for four miles before exiting at West Bromwich.
Footage of the incident shows oncoming drivers flashing their headlights and moving out of the way.
A lorry driver is forced to swerve out of her way after drunk Katy Homer joined the southbound carriageway and started heading north
Footage of the incident shows oncoming drivers flashing their headlights and moving out of the way.
At Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday she plead guilty to charges of driving with excess alcohol and dangerous driving.
The court heard the shocked officers were dealing with a different traffic incident when they spotted Homer leaving the motorway up the entry slip road at 2.30am on December 4 2013.
Homer was recorded as having 79 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath – more than twice the legal limit which is 35mcg.
She was given an interim disqualification from driving at Thursday’s hearing and released on bail until her a sentencing hearing on March 28.
Judge John Warner said: ‘I am sure you are aware driving the wrong way on the motorway when over twice the limit is a very serious matter.’
Malcolm Fowler, defending, said the care worker had not been sacked from her job.
CCTV footage released by West Midlands Police shows Homer careering the wrong way down the carriageway
He added: ‘It is a grave allegation.
‘I did touch upon medical history, there is a serious condition of depression for this lady who is on medication.
‘She is still in employment despite her condition.’
After the hearing, Inspector Dave Southam, from Sandwell Police Investigation Team, said: ‘There is no doubt how serious this incident could have been.
‘Ms Homer drove the wrong way along the M5 for around four miles and CCTV footage from the time shows other vehicles having to move out of the way.
‘Thankfully, due to the time of day, the motorway was not as busy as it otherwise might have been and so no significant harm was caused to others.
‘Ultimately driving whilst under the influence poses a risk to both the driver and others on the road – regardless of whether it is on a motorway or a quiet side street and this case will hopefully serve as a warning to others who make the dangerous mistake of getting behind the wheel after they’ve had a drink.’