A car load of off-duty prison staff stopped a suspected drink-driver who was driving erratically on State Highway 1 south of Dunedin from getting back behind the wheel.
Police yesterday reported that a woman who was driving erratically was stopped by members of the public on the Allanton-Waihola Rd.
Today it has emerged it was off-duty prison officers who stopped the woman, with Otago Corrections Facility director Jack Harrison saying five officers were in the car travelling from the Milburn facility to Dunedin when a car erratically passed them about 5pm.
``A driver overtook the car while there was oncoming traffic and the oncoming traffic had to swerve and pull over for the driver.
``The driver continued weaving into oncoming traffic for some distance.
``One of our officers rang the police and when the car got close enough the officers grabbed the registration plate of the driver who continued driving into path of southbound traffic.''
Eventually the driver slowed down and pulled over.
The officers then pulled in front of her, got out and talked to her, keeping her there until police arrived.
As a result, a 37-year-old Dunedin woman was facing charges of driving with excess breath-alcohol level and driving while disqualified .
The woman was due to appear in the Dunedin District Court on September 26.
Fairfax reported the woman recorded a breath alcohol reading of 1205mcg, with the legal limit being 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath for drivers over 20.
