A driver who tried to clear ice from his windscreen while at the wheel veered on to a central reservation and crashed into a road sign.
An off-duty police officer raced to help and then breath-tested David Saunders, 22, who was found to be over the alcohol limit after a Valentine's Day celebration the evening before.
The crash happened on the A264 Horsham Road on February 15.
Saunders, of Beale Court, Bewbush, pleaded guilty to driving with excess alcohol when he appeared before magistrates in Crawley.
He was disqualified for a year and ordered to pay a £104 fine and costs.
Geoff White, defending, said Saunders had been out the night before and did not consider he would be over the limit the following morning.
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