Members of the public and supermarket staff stepped in to intervene when a visibly drunk Dunedin man mangled an attempt to park his car yesterday evening.
Sergeant Matt Lee, of Dunedin, said police were called to Fresh Choice in Green Island at 6.30pm after the man drove his vehicle over a ledge in the car park and got his vehicle stuck.
Customers and supermarket staff tried to take the man’s car keys from him as he was showing signs of intoxication, Sgt Lee said.
The man then became agitated and fled.
Police caught up with him at a family member’s house where he was breath-tested, recording a breath alcohol level of 1062mcg - about four times over the legal limit - and was suspended from driving for 28 days.
He will appear in court at a later date.
Meanwhile, on Friday, police were called to Camden Court at 8.45am after a vehicle being driven downhill hit two parked cars.
The 72-year-old driver recorded a breath alcohol level of 769mcg. He was suspended from driving and summoned to court for driving with excess breath alcohol third and subsequent.
The crash caused extensive damage to the driver's car and had to be towed.
At 1.40am on Saturday, police were called to Macandrew Rd after a vehicle crashed through a fence and stopped against a conservatory.
The 43-year-old driver was tested and recorded a breath alcohol level of 750mcg, but elected to get a blood alcohol reading, which has not yet been returned.
He had his licence suspended and is due to appear in court at a later date.
On Saturday at 8pm in King Edward St, a man tried to stop short to avoid a police checkpoint and ended up getting into a minor crash.
The 38-year-old was tested and recorded a breath alcohol level of 494mcg.
Later at 12am at a checkpoint in Kaikorai Valley Rd, police stopped a 24-year-old woman who was already on a 0 alcohol licence. She was breath-tested, recording 817mcg.
Earlier in the evening, police at a checkpoint on Portobello Rd stopped and tested a woman on a moped. The 27-year-old woman recorded a breath alcohol level of 596mcg and was summoned to court at a later date.
Sgt Lee said police were kept hot on their feet on Saturday night with multiple physical disorder events being reported around Princes St, George St and the Octagon between 12am and 2am.
Police spent the night trying to track down the fights, but all had been resolved before they arrived.
