Disability support worker loses licence, fined for crashing bus while driving client under the influence

A disability support worker has pleaded guilty to blowing nearly three times the legal limit and causing a vehicle collision while transporting a disabled client on the job. Anitah Mukundane appeared before Broome Magistrates Court on September 18 charged with careless driving causing bodily harm and exceeding 0.08g blood alcohol. The court heard the 34-year-old was driving a client in a Hyundai bus on July 5 in Derby when she drove through a give-way sign and collided with a Toyota Prado. The passenger, who has cerebral palsy, sustained a head injury during the accident but has since made a full recovery. Ms Mukundane said she “didn’t see the give-way sign” before the crash, blowing a blood alcohol reading of 0.139 shortly after. Ms Mukundane’s defence lawyer said the support worker had been called into work that morning after drinking a bottle of wine the night before, and said she had not eaten breakfast that morning hence the high blood alcohol reading. It was also revealed the passenger allegedly pulled on Ms Mukundane’s arm while she was driving and distracting her. Police prosecutor Cara Jellie questioned the blood-alcohol reading and why the passenger was in the front seat initially. “It’s quite a high reading for 11.30 in the morning,” she said. Magistrate Deen Potter condemned Ms Mukundane’s actions while on the job and putting her vulnerable client in a dangerous situation. Ms Mukundane was served a three-month and nine-month concurrent licence disqualification for each charge respectively and fined $3150.