A man has been charged after he drove while intoxicated down the Auckland Southern motorway in the wrong direction at approximately 6:40am this morning.
The man first pulled onto the motorway going south in the northbound lane at Ellerslie.
A number of cars had to take evasive action to avoid colliding with him and as a result one car spun out at the Penrose overbridge.
But the driver didn’t stop there, he continued south and soon struck a car near the Mt Wellington on-ramp causing that vehicle to spin.
Luckily the drivers in both of these incidents were not injured.
The intoxicated driver then continued driving in the wrong direction again and hit another car head on a few metres further down the road.
Three occupants in that vehicle received minor injuries and were taken to Middlemore Hospital.
Police who attended the scene of the final crash were amazed the injuries weren’t worse as the damage to both vehicles was extensive.
“This was incredibly dangerous driving, this man should never have got behind the wheel in this state,” says Acting Sergeant Mark Sharman, Auckland motorways supervisor.
“The fact he drove the wrong way down a motorway clearly demonstrates the way alcohol impairs your ability to drive.
“Not only that, but he had ample opportunities to stop and turn around but chose to continue driving and put many other innocent road users at risk in doing so.
“We’re incredibly lucky this didn’t end up worse than it did.
“Drink driving is unacceptable. If you’re ever in any doubt about being legal and safe to drive, don’t take the risk,” says Mr Sharman.
The driver of the offending vehicle, a 27-year-old man, has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol and dangerous driving causing injury and will appear in Auckland District Court on Thursday April 13th.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre