A STROUD teenager swerved onto the wrong side of the road and narrowly missed a head-on collision with an ambulance racing to attend an emergency, a court heard yesterday.

Rhys Oliver's Mini Cooper stopped just in front of the ambulance, which had its blue lights flashing, on the A46 at Painswick on August 11, Cheltenham magistrates court was told.

Oliver, 19, of Bridge Mead, Ebley, Stroud, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol.

He had 61 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, the legal limit being 35 micrograms, the court was told.

Said prosecuting lawyer Graham Dono: “The ambulance was hurrying through Painswick with blue lights flashing to attend an emergency when the defendant’s Mini Cooper, travelling in the opposite direction, strayed across the road in front of the ambulance and there was very nearly a collision.”

The paramedic got out, challenged the defendant and then called the police, the court was told.

“The paramedic stayed with the defendant until the police arrived on the scene,” said Mr Dono.

Defending lawyer Liz Hyams said: “There was no actual collision as both drivers managed to stop in time.

“My client says that he was trying to change the music on his car radio at the time and that is why he strayed across road.

“My client has no previous convictions.”

District Judge Joti Bopa-Rai banned Oliver from driving for 17 months, fined him £250 and ordered him to pay prosecution costs of £85.