Moments after his car narrowly missed a crowd of people in the Octagon, an alleged drink-driver drove his vehicle through the window of a central Dunedin hotel early yesterday, police said.
The 30-year-old Dunedin man is believed to been drinking at an inner city bar before driving his grey Nissan Cefiro up lower Stuart St at 2am.
He narrowly avoided crashing into a crowd of people in the Octagon, Senior Sergeant Craig Brown, of Dunedin, said.
A passing patrol car spotted the car as it headed down Princes St before it failed to take the Rattray St corner, smashing into a large window of the Southern Cross Hotel.
The man was lucky he did not kill himself or members of the public "through his serious lack of judgement", Sen Sgt Brown said.
The man, who was uninjured in the crash, has been charged with dangerous driving and driving with excess breath-alcohol.
His level was more than 1000mcg, two and a-half times the legal limit, Snr Sgt Brown said.
The man will appear in the Dunedin District Court on Friday.
The area of the hotel affected was being used as a temporary office during refurbishment of the hotel.
Staff yesterday blocked up the 3.2m by 2.4m hole.
• Emergency services were called to two motor vehicle accidents north of Dunedin in the space of an hour yesterday.
A car and the four-wheel-drive vehicle collided during an overtaking manoeuvre 100m north of the Patmos Ave overbridge on State Highway 1 at 11.20am yesterday.
The two occupants of the car were taken to Dunedin Hospital with minor injuries.
At 12.20pm, emergency services were called to Manse Rd, just north of Waitati, after a car with five occupants hit a power pole.
Three of the occupants were taken to Dunedin Hospital with minor injuries.
Speed was believed to be a factor in the second accident and police were investigating both crashes, Snr Sgt Brown said.
