Crystell Lane convicted of drunk driving after crashing car on Sea Cliff Bridge, south of Sydney

An ex-political staffer who rubbed shoulders with some of the nation’s top lawmakers has successfully had her licence suspension substantially cut down after her drunken attempt to fix a wedding wardrobe malfunction ended in her flipping her Mercedes and almost dying.

Crystell Jade Lane, 31, was left with a life-changing back injury after flipping her hired Mercedes-Benz off the Sea Cliff Bridge near Coalcliff, south of Sydney, on March 25 this year.

She was drinking at a wedding near the bridge when she suffered a wardrobe malfunction and decided to quickly duck out at about 4.30pm to get a new outfit.

With the rain pouring and under the influence of alcohol, Lane struggled to make it across the winding bridge. 

The court heard she smashed the luxury car into an embankment, causing it to fly into the air, collide with several road signs and finally crash into a tree, which sent it onto the wrong side of the road.

Crystell Jade Lane flipped her hired Mercedes-Benz after she lost control on the Sea Cliff Bridge near Coalcliff, south of Sydney, on March 25 this year

While driving along the Sea Cliff Bridge (pictured), Lane smashed the luxury car into an embankment, causing it to fly into the air before colliding with several road signs and finally crashing into a tree, which sent it onto the wrong side of the road

The 31-year-old had to be cut from the car and was charged with mid-range drink driving after she returned a blood alcohol level of 0.104. 

Lane, from Logan, south of Brisbane, was slammed by Magistrate Darryl Pearce at Wollongong Local Court in August when he slapped her with a $1500 fine, a compulsory interlock and disqualified her from driving for 12 months from her August 17 court date.

Lane appeared in court again on November 4, arguing for a reduction in her sentence and that the suspension should be backdated from March 25 – the day she crashed.

‘I was incredibly stupid and selfish. I broke the law,’ she told the court, as reported by the Courier Mail.

‘What I am appealing is the excess five months.’

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Lane argued that because she had been told by police not to drive since the crash, the ban should be backdated to March. 

Judge Andrew Haesler on Friday agreed, meaning Lane will be able to get behind the wheel in March next year – five months earlier than she originally thought.

Lane, a former political staffer, has spent years rubbing shoulders with some of the nation’s top lawmakers.

Lane’s social media pages show her with former treasurer Wayne Swan, and Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek (pictured together), who she described as her ‘idol’

The 31-year-old (pictured with former treasurer Wayne Swan) was convicted of drink driving and had her licence disqualified for 12 months

Photos on her social media showed her posing with former treasurer Wayne Swan and current Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, the latter she described as her ‘idol’.

‘I had the amazing opportunity to work with my political idol today. Such a class act,’ Lane captioned a photo of her and Ms Plibersek from 2014. 

Lane also worked as a political staffer for Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers and was thanked in his maiden speech to parliament in 2013.

During sentencing in August, Magistrate Darryl Pearce said he ‘had no idea’ how someone wasn’t killed in Lane’s ‘appalling’ crash.

The 31-year-old had to undergo surgery after breaking her back in the horror accident, and said she ‘just wanted to be proud of herself’.

As well as her relationship with some of Labor’s top leaders, Lane’s mother Teresa is also a councillor for the City of Logan.

 Both Lane and her mother Teresa have been contacted for comment.

Lane had to undergo surgery after breaking her back in the horror accident