Drink-driver banned after ‘driving through’ McDonald’s restaurant

Taylor Steel was disqualified from driving for two years after being found to be nearly three times the legal limit.

A car which crashed into a McDonald’s restaurant at Buck Barn services on the A24 near Horsham (Sussex Police/PA) (PA Media)

A drink-driver has been banned from the roads after crashing into a McDonald’s restaurant, causing extensive damage.

Taylor Steel was disqualified from driving for two years after the crash at Buck Barn services on the A24 near Horsham West Sussex on November 24.

The 19-year-old, of Fairfield Way, Ashington failed a breath test which showed he had 101mcg of alcohol per 100ml of breath – nearly three times the legal limit of 35mcg.

A car which crashed into a McDonald’s restaurant at Buck Barn services on the A24 near Horsham (Sussex Police/PA) (PA Media)

A Sussex Police spokesman said the teenager had taken the term “drive thru” restaurant “a bit too literally”.

He added: “In police interview, Steel admitted he had been drinking beer at a pub before the incident occurred, and added he didn’t know why he drove the car or where he intended to go.”

As well as the driving ban, Steel was sentenced at Crawley Magistrates’ Court to a 12-month community order requiring him to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £95 victim surcharge.