The driver of a car involved in a crash described as a ''lucky escape'' had spent the day drinking in Dunedin before attempting to drive home to Christchurch, police say.
Child, Youth and Family was informed of the crash, which caused serious injuries to the driver and minor injuries to a child passenger, serious crash investigator Constable Amie Manning said.
Three children under the age of 9 and a woman were passengers in the car when its driver, a Christchurch man in his early 30s, lost control in Easther Cres, the car ploughing through a fence and rolling, just after 4pm on Thursday.
Const Manning said two of the children should have been in child restraints and were not.
The driver and the young child were taken to Dunedin Hospital after the crash.
The driver was unlicensed and had spent the day drinking at an address in Lock St.
Beer bottles littered the ground around the smashed driver's window and a box of beer was visible in the upturned car's rear window.
The driver was ''very well known to police'', Const Manning said.
He was likely to face charges of driving while forbidden, dangerous driving and an alcohol-related charge, she said.
Other non-driving charges were also possible.
Police were waiting for toxicology results from ESR before formally charging him.
The group had left the Lock St address and was headed for the Northern Motorway when the man lost control of the 1995 BMW 318I.
Speed was also believed to be a factor in the crash.
A Southern District Health Board spokeswoman said the driver and child had been discharged from hospital.
