Adam Richard Webster (22) was sentenced yesterday in the Invercargill District Court after pleading guilty to one charge of drinking and driving and another of careless driving.
Judge Jim Large said on January 20, Webster had worked in Middlemarch and on his return to Winton, began to drink alcohol.
About 3.45am on January 21, Webster feel asleep while he was driving from Winton to his address in Invercargill.
"He veered off the road clipping a power pole and colliding with a traffic light."
Judge Large said his breath screening recorded 701mcg.
"You are lucky that you didn’t kill yourself or any other person. This is the real message people should get on board when they decide to drive after drinking."
Counsel Kate McHugh said Webster did not have any previous convictions.
She said he acknowledged his poor judgement but had taken responsibility, paying more than $6000 in reparation to the Invercargill City Council to fix the damaged traffic light.
Judge Large disqualified him from driving for eight months and fined him $700.
