AMBER MCGILL Though she denied some of the allegations about the way she was driving, a North Carolina woman admitted she was “flying” on Interstate 85 and under the influence when she was involved in an Aug. 28, 2009, crash.

“If I wouldn’t have been drinking I wouldn’t have been flying,” Amber McGill, 31, of Grover, told Circuit Court Judge Mark Hayes on Monday. “I’m just really, really sorry about what happened. It was my fault.”

McGill on Monday pleaded guilty to the charge of felony driving under the influence with great bodily injury.

While her lawyer sought leniency, Judge Hayes sentenced McGill to 10 years in the state Department of Corrections, fined her $5,100 and ordered her to pay $21,750 in restitution.

Principal Deputy Solicitor Barry Barnette, who prosecuted the case, said the accident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. when McGill, who was driving northbound on Interstate 85 in Gaffney, lost control and crossed through the grassy median, went under a cable barrier, and collided with a southbound car. A total of four vehicles were involved in the wreck.

While other people suffered injuries in the wreck, McGill specifically was charged with felony DUI with great bodily injury in connection with the injuries of a 14-year-old girl from Cary, N.C., who lost six the of her front teeth during the crash.

The teenager was unable to attend McGill’s plea hearing.

McGill said in court she regretted that the teenager was unable to come because she wanted to offer her apologies in person. Acknowledging the hurt she had caused, she said, “I can’t imagine, if something like this happened to my son, how I would feel.”

The wreck was investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol, its Multi-discipline Accident investigation Team, and SLED.

Not only did blood tests show that McGill had a blood alcohol content of .097, which is above the legal limit, prosecutors contended she also tested positive for marijuana and the prescription drug Xanax.

“We are lucky the wreck wasn’t any worse than it was,” Barnette said after the hearing. “Ms. McGill’s reckless actions could have easily claimed several lives.”

At the time of the wreck, McGill was driving with a suspended license and she wasn’t insured, prosecutors said.

McGill’s lawyer explained in court that McGill was living in Blacksburg at the time of the wreck and was returning from her work in Greenville.

Though the accident occurred in August 2009, McGill wasn’t arrested until January. Prosecutors claimed that McGill, who also was injured in the wreck, walked away from Spartanburg Regional Medical Center without telling anyone.

McGill’s lawyer said McGill was never told she was under arrest and didn’t even know anyone else had been hurt. He claimed McGill went home to recuperate and ended up having additional surgery.

McGill had been held without bond since her January arrest and was given credit for time served.

Prosecutors had contended that McGill was weaving in and out of traffic and passing cars in the emergency lane before the crash. McGill denied some of those allegations but accepted responsibility for the crash.