A Black Watch lance corporal drove drunk the wrong way across the Tay Bridge at 120mph, a court has heard.
Daniel McLean, who was over twice the drink drive limit, claimed he put the foot down to get off the bridge as quickly as he could after realising his mistake.
But the 24-year-old, who Army bosses will demote to private as a result, lost control of the car and narrowly avoided another vehicle before mounting a grass verge.
Depute fiscal John Adams told Dundee Sheriff Court: “A friend of the accused was on a night out in Dundee and posted on social media asking for a lift to Cupar.
“The accused said he would pick her up. He collected her at 4.05am at the Seagate to drive to Fife.
“He was driving along Dock Street and missed the slip road to the bridge. He continued driving and took a u-turn and joined the northbound carriageway on the wrong side of the bridge.
“The accused realised this and as such attempted to cross the bridge as quickly as possible.
“The witness looked at the speedometer, which indicated 120mph.
“As he approached the end of the bridge the accused was going too fast to negotiate the roundabout while braking and narrowly avoided colliding with an oncoming vehicle.
“He continued to travel south, skidding across the diameter of the roundabout and mounting the grass verge.
“The passenger airbag deployed and the witness struck her head on the dashboard but did not sustain an injury.”
Police arrived and breathalysed McLean, who was over twice the legal drink drive limit.
Mr Adams said: “CCTV showed it took the vehicle 54 seconds to travel the bridge, that is an average speed of 93mph.”
McLean, Kirkbank, Dumfries admitted a charge of dangerous driving on the Tay Bridge and the roundabout junction of the A92 at the B946 Newport-on-Tay/Tayport road on June 21.
He also admitted driving with excess breath alcohol (52mics) on the same date.
Sentence was deferred for reports until November 18 and McLean was banned from driving in the meantime.
For more on this story see Thursday’s Courier.