A wrong way drink driver caused a massive pile-up on the Devon Expressway as he tried to drive from Buckfastleigh to East Devon on New Year’s Eve.

Andrew Beavers had an argument after drinking with his partner and set off in his black Land Rover 4x4 for the 30 miles journey to Newton Poppleford.

His lawyer told a court that Beavers did not like night driving and used an app for directions but ended up taking the wrong exit from a roundabout and driving towards oncoming traffic on the A38 Devon Expressway at 00.25am on December 3, 2021.

South and West Devon magistrates court heard drivers tried to take evading action as Beavers’ vehicle straddled the two lane 70mph highway in the wrong direction.

He struck five cars, writing off all of them, and he had to be cut free from his own vehicle. Police said at the time that seven people were injured

Beavers, aged 54, of Capper Close, Newton Poppleford, Devon, admitted dangerous driving and driving a vehicle while unfit through drink.

The magistrates bailed him to be sentenced by a judge in a crown court next month and gave him an interim driving ban.

Prosecutor Philip Sewell said the road was closed for several hours and Beavers was under the influence of something when he was cut out of his car and taken to hospital. The other drivers suffered only minor wounds.

He gave a positive breath test but five hours later was under the legal drink drive limit.

Mr Sewell said Beavers’ car straddled both lanes and his driving was ‘erratic and dangerous’.

“It must have been clear he was on the wrong carriageway,” he said, adding that he did not pull over or put on his hazard warning lights or call police.

Barrister Ryan Murray, defending, said Beavers had used an app and ended up taking a wrong turning at a roundabout and ended up on the wrong side of the A38.

He said the collisions happened around half a mile later.

Mr Murray said Beavers had a liver transplant in 2014 and the organ was being rejected and he had been drinking and had a domestic row with his partner.

He said his client, who was a reluctant driver especially at night, then made the ‘stupid decision to get behind the wheel’ to drive back to his home from Buckfastleigh.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said at the time: “The collision involved a Mercedes saloon; a Mini countryman; a Ford Transit Van; a Land Rover Freelander; and a Nissan Qashqai.

“Following the collision, one person was trapped within the Land Rover and fire attended to undertake an extraction from the vehicle; his injuries were minor.

“All ohers involved in the collision thankfully sustained only minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

“Highways attended to aid with removal of vehicles and clear-up and the road was fully reopened at around 7.15am.

“It is believed that the collision was caused due to a vehicle travelling on the wrong side of the carriageway.

“A 54-year-old man from the Sidmouth area was arrested at the scene on suspicion of driving whilst under the influence of alcohol and dangerous driving.”

Fire and rescue officers from Buckfastleigh Fire Station posted a series of images of the crash scene on their Facebook a few days after the pile-up.