A SUSPECTED drink-driver who overturned his pick-up truck and attempted to leave the scene of the collision has been banned from the roads for 17 months.

Richard James Rucastle, 24, from Thornton-in-Lonsdale, Ingleton, was convicted at Harrogate Magistrates’ Court on October 26 of failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Rucastle crashed his blue Mitsubishi L200 near Thornton-in-Lonsdale just after midnight on June 6 2015.

Officers located and arrested him five minutes later after he made off from the crash scene as a passenger in another vehicle.

He failed to provide both a roadside breath specimen and a subsequent evidential specimen for analysis, which is an offence.

As well as being disqualified from driving, Rucastle was also ordered to carry out 100 hours’ unpaid work during the next 12 months, made to pay £400 costs and an £85 surcharge.

Traffic Constable David Minto, of North Yorkshire Police’s Roads Policing Group, said: “The sentence handed to Richard Rucastle is very pleasing.

“He blatantly flouted the law and stupidly put himself and others in danger by getting behind the wheel when clearly unfit to drive.

“This case sends out a clear message that North Yorkshire Police will use all available tools to bring offending drivers to justice and keep our roads safe.”