The birthday celebrations of a Dunedin man who police say was almost four times over the drink-driving limit came to an abrupt halt when he ploughed into a motel fence yesterday morning.
Sergeant Steve Aitken said police were called to reports of a car crashing into the motel fence in Union St about 5am.
The driver fled the scene in his vehicle, but a witness took a note of the car's registration plate, Sgt Aitken said.
Police tracked the man to his nearby address, where he was breath-tested and recorded a breath-alcohol level of 995mcg, almost four times the legal limit of 250, he said.
''That's a big blow - 995 is getting up there.''
The man attributed his high-level of intoxication to his 33rd birthday celebrations, Sgt Aitken said.
The man is due to appear in the Dunedin District Court next week.
Police ''very seldom'' saw a breath-alcohol level of 995mcg and the level of intoxication was concerning, he said.
The legal limit is 250mcg, but a breath-alcohol level greater than 400mcg results in police laying charges.
