A CARER crashed his car on the M5 while over-the-limit on cocaine and the anti-anxiety drug Diazepam, a court heard.

Carl Francis, aged 46, careered off the M5 while returning to the city from a hospital in Birmingham.

Magistrates were told that Francis lost control of his vehicle because of the wet conditions on the carriageway.

Mark Turnbull, defending, said: “The road conditions were quite poor. An officer at the scene said that after he cautioned him Mr Francis replied that he had lost control in bad weather. The officer said it was a night of heavy rain.

“He believes he hit a large puddle of water. He accepts he had drugs in his system. He took cocaine some days beforehand.

“It’s quite clear the cocaine was on its way out of his system. He said he took it on the Tuesday and this was now the Friday.”

Mr Turnbull added Francis was only slightly above the legal limit for Diazepam, which he receives on prescription.

The solicitor said the defendant takes the drug in the morning and evening for anxiety and depression - and he was not sure why he was over the limit.

The court heard Francis, of Crickley Drive, Worcester, had just taken his mother to hospital and was driving home on the M5 southbound, when the crash took place.

Mr Turnbull said: “He is the main carer for two family members, his mum and his brother. His mum’s situation is the most acute. She’s paralysed on the left hand-side of her body. She has problems with nerves in her spine.

“She was going for steroid work and CT scans in hospital. He also recently became a carer for his brother. He was in a car crash and as a result has back problems and had some brain blood clots. He now has epilepsy and is having seizures.”

Mr Turnbull said the car had sentimental value to the defendant as it was bought for him by his father, who recently died.

He added that while Francis had previous convictions, he had since turned his life around.

Shafquat Reaz, prosecuting, said Francis was arrested after a police officer arrived at the crash scene and spotted a BMW down a grass embankment.

The court heard that the officer spoke to the defendant and confirmed the vehicle was his. He was then discharged by the paramedics and failed a roadside drug test, the magistrates were told.

West Mercia Police was called to the scene at around 9.33pm on January 18.

Francis pleaded guilty to drug driving.

Worcester Magistrates Court handed Francis a one-year driving ban and told him to pay a £120 fine, £130 in costs and a £30 victim surcharge.