Drink-driver gets 3 years

A drunk-driver was jailed for three years yesterday after a head-on crash into a car carrying a family of three.

The Dunedin family say "it was a miracle" they were not killed in the collision with Robin Patrick Evan Turner, of Palmerston.

The family of three, which included a 13-month-old baby, escaped with only cuts and bruises.

Turner was also disqualified from driving indefinitely by Oamaru District Court. He admitted three charges of dangerous driving causing injury, three charges of driving with an excess breath alcohol level causing injury, and two dangerous driving charges at Katiki, near Palmerston.

Turner started to drive home after spending the afternoon driving before crashing as he headed towards Palmerston.

The baby girl's 27-year-old mother was taken to Dunedin Hospital with head, knee and hip injuries as well as bruising.