A drink-driver who left a man fearing for his life in a terrifying crash outside a police station has avoided prison.
Sebastian Meller, 27, ploughed into the vehicle on Inverurie Road close to Bucksburn Police Office while almost three times the limit.
Meller did not stop but was caught by police when he later returned to the scene to try to recover a tyre, which had been ripped off by the force of the accident.
At Aberdeen Sheriff Court he was handed 175 hours of unpaid work and a six-month supervision order.
He was also banned from driving for two years.
Meller, of Aulton Court, Aberdeen, previously pled guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving and to driving with 60 microgrammes (mcg) of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 22mcg.
Outside court Meller was asked if he wanted to say anything to the man who suffered a broken shoulder in the crash. He replied: “Sorry.”
The driver whose car was forced through the central barrier and into the path of oncoming traffic told police he closed his eyes, put his head in his hands and thought it was “the end”, during the incident on December 15 last year around 12.10pm.
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Defence agent Neil McRobert said: “It would appear at the end of last year Mr Meller had various stresses in his life, family problems back home in Poland and work difficulties here.”
He added the night before, Meller and his partner had broken up and he had consumed alcohol “heavily”.
Mr McRobert added: “He appears genuinely upset about his conduct and remorseful and shows genuine empathy towards the complainer.”
Sheriff Christine McCrossan told Meller: “These are very serious matters and in certain circumstances it would be appropriate to impose a period of custody.”
However, she noted Meller had been drinking the night before and had not “knowingly” driven while under the influence.
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