26 March 2008
Hamilton Police are praising the actions of two motorists who contacted them concerned over the driving of a female driver who blew three times over the legal limit when stopped yesterday afternoon.
Sergeant Phil Ruddell of the Hamilton Strategic Traffic Unit said Police were alerted to the woman's erratic driving shortly after 2pm.
"She had driven into the city from Cambridge via a busy SH1 when her driving was of such a concern that two motorists rung Police as she travelled along Cobham Dr.
"One driver was so worried she followed the car until Police arrived and the woman was stopped in the Warehouse carpark on the corner of Ward and Anglesea streets."
Noticing two primary school aged children travelling in the car, the officer who carried out the compulsory breath test was shocked when the woman blew 1368mgm.
"The legal alcohol limit for full licence holders aged over 20 is 400 microgrammes of alcohol per litre of breath meaning she was over three times the legal limit," said Mr Ruddell.
"To make matters worse she told the officer she was on her way to pick up a third child and a grandparent when she was stopped."
The woman received an automatic 28 day suspension of her licence for having an alcohol reading over 650mgms and will appear in the Hamilton District Court on 09 April facing a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol.
Mr Ruddell said the actions of the concerned motorists were to be commended.
"With that level of alcohol who's to say what could have happened, I'm confident to say the actions of those motorists in reporting the woman's behaviour probably saved someone's life yesterday," he said.
END