A pregnant woman from uckfield was caught drink-driving with her daughter in her car a day before she was due to give birth.
Oficers stopped the Vauxhall Zafira of Brooke Burton at 9.15pm on June 4 at Ringles Cross, Uckfield, during the Sussex Police summer crackdown on drink and drug-driving.
The 26-year-old revealed she was due to go into hospital the next day to give birth so instead of immediately arresting Burton, officers called an ambulance and she was taken to hospital to be assessed.
Video footage of the stop - which can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULAZ7gcWIVE - shows officers speaking to Burton and explaining they wanted to take her to hospital to make sure she was ok.
In the car with Burton were two adults who appeared drunk and her seven-year-old daughter.
The driver had 45 microgrammes of alcohol per 100 millilitres of her breath.
Burton, of Nevill Road, Uckfield, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without insurance and driving without a licence. She was released on bail to appear at Brighton Magistrates’ Court when she was banned from driving for 14 months, fined £255 and ordered to pay £235 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
Chief Inspector Phil Nicholas, of Sussex and Surrey roads policing unit, said, “The footage shows how our officers have to balance making arrests with ensuring suspects get the right medical treatment when they need it.
“As soon as they discovered that Burton was heavily pregnant they realised that she needed to go to hospital to make sure both her and her unborn baby were ok.
“Burton selfishly decided to get behind the wheel after drinking and put not only her life and the lives of other road users at risk but even that of her daughter. Even if she had not been drinking, Burton should not have been driving as she had neither a licence or insurance.
“A minority of drivers continue to think it is ok for them to drive and drive. We need the help of the community to get people like that off the roads.”
A total of 41 people have so far been convicted of offences as part of the the summer Operation Dragonfly drink and drug-driving campaign.
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