Dunedin police say the number of drink-drivers at the weekend is disappointing and labelled one motorist's actions as "idiotic" after he crashed his vehicle into a power pole.
File photo. Photo: RNZ
Police Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said there were several people who were driving while impaired at the weekend.
At 5pm on Friday, police received multiple reports of what was believed to be an intoxicated driver seen throwing beer cans from the vehicle.
Moments later the vehicle rear-ended a car, being driven by a 73-year-old woman, which was stopped at the roundabout in David and Thorn Sts.
The offending vehicle fled the scene before being located nearby, abandoned, 20 minutes later, Bond said.
Police were still investigating the incident.
A few hours later, just after midnight, police attempted to stop a vehicle travelling along Portsmouth Dr.
"The vehicle failed to stop and attempted to flee".
While police were stopped on the side of the road they witnessed the vehicle crash into a power pole.
The 28-year-old man who was driving was "intoxicated" and caught driving with breath alcohol level of 982mcg, Bond said.
"The idiotic actions of the driver put himself and other motorists at risk and shows the dangers that happen when you drink and drive."
The driver will appear in court on Thursday.
At 1.20am the same night, a man accelerated out of the lights near McDonalds in North Dunedin and ran a red light in Dundas St.
Police caught up with the driver who had a breath alcohol level of 600mcg.
Just after midnight on Sunday a woman who was having drinks at Cableways crashed her car into a property in Kaikorai Valley Rd.
"She drove onto Mellor St before crashing through the intersection with Kaikorai Valley Rd".
There were no injuries or damage to the address but the woman's car had "extensive damage".
The woman was found to have been driving with a breath alcohol level of 1237mcg and was subsequently arrested, had her licence suspended for 28 days and will appear in court on Thursday.
A 20-year-old man was also caught driving with excess breath alcohol after reports of erratic driving in Harington Point Rd.
He was located in Concord where he admitted to drink-driving and recorded a breath alcohol level of 600mcg.
Bond said it was disappointing to see so many people drinking and driving over the weekend.
"By being impaired, putting themselves and other road users at risk, a number of drivers will now be appearing in courts as well as having their driver's licence suspended, or disqualified."
This story first appeared in the Otago Daily Times