The 18-year-old’s vehicle was found by officers parked half in the middle of Knox St, North East Valley at 2am today with the bonnet still warm and empty alcohol containers littering the inside, Sergeant Matt Lee, of Dunedin, said.
Police were originally called by residents of the area due to the teenager racing his vehicle up and down the street.
When police arrived, residents directed them to his vehicle but the teenager was nowhere to be seen.
When he was found nearby the teenage denied driving the vehicle and had no idea where the keys were.
However, before speaking to the teenager, police had checked CCTV footage in the area and identified him as the driver and the registered owner of the vehicle.
When confronted with the news he had been caught in the lie, the ‘‘lost’’ car keys were found in his pocket.
He recorded a breath alcohol level of 513mcg — the legal limit for people under 20 is 0mcg.
He was charged with excess breath alcohol and would appear in Dunedin District Court at a later date.
