A DRINK driver broke through a roadworks cordon on the A64 and crashed into a highways maintenance truck with a man inside, a court was told.

The collision caused by Warren Richard Lill, 42, forced the parked truck to move forward, said Jessica Lister, prosecuting at York Magistrates Court.

“The person in the vehicle (truck) said he heard screeching of tyres by the defendant reversing and setting off towards York at high speed,” she said.

Lill was three times the legal alcohol limit. The crash occurred in the westbound carriageway near Malton during one of the weekends before Christmas when it was closed from Friday evening to Monday morning for roadworks.

Lill, of Vivis Lane, Pickering, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drink driving and failure to stop after a collision.

York magistrates decided the case was too serious for them to deal with and sent him to York Crown Court for a judge to sentence him. They released him on bail until February 7.

His solicitor Steve Munro said he had been trying to kill himself that evening but not involve anyone else, and had made previous suicide attempts. He had been driving to a lay-by where he planned to kill himself.

Miss Lister said Lill hit several bollards as he broke into the closed section of the A64 shortly before midnight on December 10. His car was leaking radiator fluid. A breath test gave a reading of 101 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35.

Lill told police he had argued with his partner and started drinking.

He then decided to kill himself and set out to do so.

“He said he had difficulty with his ability to drive because he was crying,” she said.

“That is one of the reasons he failed to see the roadworks.”