Road Policing members working Operation BLITZEM in Christchurch on Sunday morning were surprised to see a vehicle coming towards them at a checkpoint with no-one in the driver's seat!
Inspector Al Stewart says it appears that the male driver had seen Police and jumped into the rear seat, while his female front-seat passenger tried to get hold of the wheel. Once stopped, the driver blew a positive test for alcohol and will appear in court over the next few weeks.
Police were in for a further surprise when they went to impound the vehicle and found that one of the driver's friends had been hiding in the boot!
"Apparently he'd just gone along for the ride; imagine if he'd been left in for the 28 days!"
The male has been charged with excess breath alcohol and dangerous driving and his vehicle was impounded.