A DUDLEY drink-driver who ran over a firefighter, pinning him to another vehicle and breaking his legs, has been jailed after it was found she was almost three times the legal drink-driving limit.

Jill Carvell, aged 61, hit the off-duty firefighter and trapped him between her car and a stationary vehicle in Louise Street, Gornal.

The 55-year-old firefighter, who was just weeks away from retiring, suffered breaks to both of his legs.

Carvell, of Osberton Drive, Dudley, was arrested and a breath test showed she had 100 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, almost three times the legal limit of 35 microgrammes.

She was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday (January 8) after she pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol and causing serious injury due to dangerous driving.

She was also disqualified from driving for four years and nine months.

On passing the sentence, Judge Berlin said that it was necessary to imprison Carvell as it was his belief she posed a danger to the public due to her behaviour.

Carvell was interviewed by officers from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit the day after the crash and admitted she’d driven her Dacia Duster dangerously and was drunk at the time.

Stourbridge News:

Louise Street, Gornal. Pic: Google 

Sergeant Mark Crozier of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: “Once again this collision highlights the dangers of driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and the devastating consequences that result from it.

"The firefighter suffered injuries that ended his career and the thoughts of all at West Midlands Police are with him whilst he continues to make a recovery.”

The firefighter is making a good recovery following the horror crash on Saturday July 4 last year, but has left the fire service and faces a long period of recuperation.