A flight nurse says she made "the biggest mistake" after she crashed her car into a median strip while more than three times the legal limit.
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Kirsti Van Wyk, 31, fronted Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday where she pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving.
Police were patrolling Victoria Street when they spotted a Kia Picanto crashed at the intersection near Whylandra Street blocking traffic at about 10pm on May 20 this year.
Officers approached a number of people when they saw a crying and distressed Van Wyk who admitted to being the driver of the car.
After producing her licence to police, officers asked if she had consumed any alcohol when she said "yes, I've made the biggest mistake".
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Following a positive roadside breath test she was arrested and taken to Dubbo police station where she returned a reading of 0.164 - more than three times the legal limit.
During the breath analysis Van Wyk told police she was unsure of how much alcohol she had, and explained there had been two bottles of wine shared between four people. She also said she had not consumed food or water throughout the day.
Police said they reviewed CCTV footage which showed Van Wyk driving her car west on Victoria Street when she veered toward the median strip and crashed into the lane dividing fencing.
In court, defence lawyer Corey Suckling explained Van Wyk had been working significant shifts at work, and had been called back in to relieve a colleague before she went to see friends for drinks.
He said she was unaware how much alcohol she had been consuming and argued it was a group setting where drinks weren't being poured by her.
"It was a genuine mistake as to why she got behind the wheel. She puts it down to a lack of food and water that day," he said.
The court heard while Van Wyk had a limited traffic history, there had been a few minor traffic offences in Queensland.
Mr Suckling conceded while it was the manner of driving which led to Van Wyk being detected by police, he argued she was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash and had demonstrated significant remorse given through her early plea and comments from the completion of the traffic offenders program.
He asked the court to consider extending leniency given her prior good character, lack of criminal history and consequences she will have in terms of her employment.
While Magistrate Gary Wilson agreed the court was unlikely to see Van Wyk again and it had a significant impact on her employment he warned drink driving, particularly in the high range "can't be tolerated"
Van Wyk was fined $500, disqualified from driving for six months and ordered to install an interlock device for two years.