Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said officers were called to the collision on State Highway 1 in Green Island at 9.10am on Sunday.
The 20-year-old driver had crashed his vehicle into the left-hand barrier.
The man and his passenger, a 20-year-old woman, were having a verbal and physical argument while driving at 100km/h on the stretch of motorway.
During the row, the woman pulled the steering wheel to the left, causing the vehicle to veer across the road.
The man managed to correct the vehicle. However, the woman repeated the action, causing the vehicle to crash, Snr Sgt Bond said.
When police arrived, the man was breath-tested and recorded a breath alcohol level of 504 micrograms per litre of breath. The legal limit is 250mcg.
The man's licence was suspended and police were following up with the woman regarding dangerous driving.
It's not known if either were injured.
