Bystanders stop woman six times over limit from driving

Members of the public blocked in a driver who was more than six times over the limit, taking her keys off her, after she was seen dangerously swerving all over the road on Friday afternoon, police say.

Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said members of the public called police after the 51-year-old driver was seen "swerving all over the road, nearly causing multiple crashes" in Grandvista Dr, Abbotsford, on Friday about 3.30pm.

The members of the public positioned their vehicles around the driver’s in order to prevent her from leaving.

They also took her keys off her, Snr Sgt Bond said.

When police arrived they spoke to the female driver who was breath tested and recorded a breath alcohol level of 1511mcg, Snr Sgt Bond said.

"That’s really high," he said.

Another very high breath-alcohol reading was recorded only days later when police stopped a driver who ran a red light in Andersons Bay Rd at the Southern Motorway (State Highway 1) in South Dunedin on Sunday about 8.15am.

Police stopped the 41-year-old driver who recorded a breath-alcohol level of 1388mcg, five and a-half times the limit of 250mcg.

"That’s at quarter-past eight in the morning," Snr Sgt Bond said.

The driver’s licence was suspended for 28 days and he was summonsed to appear in Dunedin District Court on July 22.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz