A young farmer who left the scene of a crash before being found by police in a Powys village has been banned from driving after admitting drink-driving.
Cameron David Thomas, 21, of Llansantffraid-ym-Mechain, appeared before Welshpool Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to driving with excess alcohol.
The court heard that at around 1.30am on June 21, police responded to an automatic iPhone crash alert reporting a collision on the B4393 near Llanfechain.
Prosecutor Joe Stephenson said officers found a Vauxhall Corsa that had left the carriageway, slid down the road and come to rest in the middle of the carriageway.
A large amount of debris was scattered across the road and, due to the dark conditions and location, the vehicle posed a danger to other road users.
Officers found the driver's door open and the keys removed from the ignition.
At the scene was the defendant's mother, who told officers her son had contacted her and asked her to collect him.
Thomas was not present when police arrived. A search was carried out and Thomas was later located in Llanfechain.
A roadside breath test proved positive and he was arrested and taken to Newtown Police Station, where two evidential breath samples were obtained.
The lower reading was 42 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 microgrammes.
The prosecution said the offence was aggravated by the fact that Thomas had been involved in a collision.
Defending, Owain Jones said Thomas was "ever so remorseful" and recognised he had made "a massive mistake".
He told the court that although Thomas had panicked and left the scene, he had remained nearby, made himself known to police and fully cooperated with the investigation.
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Mr Jones said Thomas, a farm worker, was worried about the impact a driving ban could have on his employment, particularly as his work involves operating machinery.
He also asked magistrates to consider Thomas's early guilty plea and a character reference submitted on his behalf.
Thomas was fined £500 and ordered to pay a £200 victim surcharge and £85 costs, making a total of £785.
He was disqualified from driving for 15 months.
Magistrates offered Thomas the opportunity to complete a drink-drive rehabilitation course, which would reduce the length of the ban if successfully completed.
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