A SINGLE mother was drunk on wine when she crashed her car into a parked van and fled the scene, a court heard.

Prosecutor Blair Martin told Darlington Magistrates’ Court today (Tuesday, May 14) that Rachel Appleby shared two bottles of wine with a friend before agreeing to drive her home along North Road at around 11.30pm on April 24.

On the way, Appleby crashed into a parked van after taking her eyes off the road to check the time on her mobile phone.

Mr Martin said: “A witness said the power of the crash was enough to shake the inside of his house – he thought his garage had been broken into, such was the force of the crash.”

Appleby’s car was written off and the van she hit had shunted forwards, damaging another car parked in front of it.

She ran away from the scene, but the police turned up at her Sutcliffe Court home to arrest her a short time later and a breath test revealed she was 20mg over the legal drink drive limit.

Appleby pleaded guilty in court to failing to stop after a road accident, using a mobile phone at the wheel, and drink-driving.

Mitigating, Nick Woodhouse said 24-year-old Appleby had never been before the courts before and that she would lose her job as a home-visit carer if she lost her licence.

He said: “We all make mistakes and, unfortunately, for Miss Appleby this is going to be an expensive mistake.

“She had no intention to drink as much as she did.”

Mr Woodhouse said Appleby had panicked after the crash and he described the whole incident as “a costly error of judgement” which would force her into unemployment and also mean that she would be unable to drive her six-year-old child anywhere.

Presiding magistrate Pat Wilson told Appleby: “We don’t have sympathy for people who drink wine and get in their car.”

She added that the incident could have ended “far worse” and banned Appleby from driving for one year.

She also fined her a total of £355 in court costs and fines.