Speeding teen overtook officers while drunk: police
If you are drinking and driving, the best way to advertise the fact is to pass a police car at speed.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said a 19-year-old man did just that on Sunday morning.
The teen was stopped in Timaru St, after overtaking a police car while travelling on the Southern Motorway in Caversham Valley.
As a result of the passing maneuver, he was going over the speed limit, Snr Sgt Bond said.
Police breath-tested him and he recorded a breath alcohol level of 599mcg.
He was charged with drink driving and dangerous driving, and will appear in the Dunedin District Court.
''If you're drinking, don't drive — that's the message.''
The 19-year-old was just one of many stopped by Dunedin Police over the weekend.
In another unusual incident, Snr Sgt Bond said police attended a car crash in Frasers Rd, Kaikorai Valley, about 1am on Saturday.
''A 24-year-old female was intoxicated while walking up Frasers Rd.
''As she was walking along, she was trying the car doors to each car that she passed.
''She found an unlocked Ford Territory, jumped into the driver's seat, put the vehicle into neutral and released the handbrake.
''It's then rolled forward and collided with a parked car.''
The woman was breath tested and recorded a result of 983mcg.
She was charged with drink driving and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, and is also due to appear in the Dunedin District Court.
Snr Sgt Bond said 21-year-old man was stopped about 5am on Sunday, in Main South Rd, Concord, after police spotted his passenger not wearing a seatbelt.
The driver recorded a breath alcohol level of 832mcg, so his licence was suspended and he is due to appear in the Dunedin District Court.
Snr Sgt Bond said the passenger also received a ticket for failing to wear a seatbelt.
On Saturday night, another 19-year-old man was stopped by Dunedin Police at a checkpoint in King Edward St, about 10.30pm, where he recorded a breath alcohol level of 757mcg.
His licence was suspended for 28 days and he is due to appear in court.
Thirty minutes earlier, at the same checkpoint, a 38-year-old man recorded 646mcg and is also due to appear in court.
At 9.15pm on Saturday, a 40-year-old man recorded 312mcg in Cumberland St, and received an infringement notice.
And on Friday at 7.25pm, a 72-year-old man was also charged with drink driving after recording a breath alcohol level of 773mcg.
''It's always disappointing when anyone drinks and drives.
''A number of them were caught by our impairment team who were out doing checkpoints across the city.''
He said it was difficult to say if the number of drink drivers in city was increasing.
''It's hard to know whether it has always been like this and we weren't catching them because we weren't stopping as many vehicles, or we're just now catching more because we're out there doing more checkpoints.''
john.lewis@odt.co.nz
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