Police nab Cromwell crash driver ten times over the alcohol limit

Police have revealed that a 45 year old Cromwell man will appear in court after being caught ten times over the legal alcohol limit.

The man crashed his car on Friday July 19 and no other vehicles were involved.

He was driving on the Clyde - Alexandra highway.

The man was not injured.

Police said in a statement: "This is absurd and dangerous, and we are glad this didn’t result in more serious consequences." 

He'll appear in the District Court on Thursday September 19 charged with dangerous driving and driving with excess breath alcohol.

The alcohol reading may be a New Zealand record with RNZ reporting the highest previous highest alcohol reading was nine times the limit.

The highest-ever previous reading was 2349 micrograms - almost 10 times the legal limit - recorded in the Waitematā District in 2012.

Last year's 2023 record was 1977mcg, also recorded in Waitematā.