Drink-Driver Jailed After Five Pints and Cannabis Use Cause Head-On Crash
A drink-driver who confessed to consuming five pints of alcohol and using cannabis before causing a head-on collision has been sentenced to prison. Rory Helps, 28, was behind the wheel of an Audi A3 when he crashed into a Suzuki Swift on Alfreton Road in Selston, leaving both vehicles in a hedge.
Details of the Incident
The crash occurred just before 10:45 PM on June 6, 2025. Investigations revealed that Helps' Audi was on the wrong side of the road moments before the collision. The driver of the Suzuki, a 19-year-old woman, attempted to avoid the crash by moving onto the wrong side herself, but the Audi swerved back, resulting in a head-on impact.
The young woman suffered a broken wrist and collar bone, with the injuries causing ongoing pain and affecting her studies months after the incident. At the scene, Helps was described as 'stumbling' and 'slurring his words' when he approached police officers.
Legal Consequences and Police Statement
Helps admitted to drinking five pints that evening, and a breath test showed he was almost three times the legal limit, recording 100 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, where the limit is 35 micrograms. He also admitted to being a frequent cannabis user, with a small amount of the drug found in his car's glovebox.
At Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, Helps pleaded guilty to drink-driving, drug-driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and possession of a class B drug. He was sentenced to 22 months in prison.
PC Joseph Reynolds of Nottinghamshire Police commented on the case, stating, 'By getting behind the wheel after drinking, Helps was putting any other road users and himself at risk of serious injury or worse. His driving was impaired enough that he was on the wrong side of a country road, leading to a head-on collision with our victim’s car. She is a young driver and the impact of what happened that night continues to deeply affect her.'
He added, 'Drink or drug-driving is selfish, reckless and ruins lives. As a force, our work is very much ongoing to prevent and reduce this risk on our roads as well as catching and prosecuting those like Helps who break the law and put innocent people’s safety at risk as well as their own. We hope this case will further encourage people to think twice before deciding to drive while under the influence of alcohol.'
