Queenstown District Court

A QUEENSTOWN man drove about 7km on the rim of a wheel in August after a headon crash with another vehicle when he was on the wrong side of the road.

Before Community Magistrate Simon Heale in the Queenstown District Court yesterday, Felipe Welke (28), admitted dangerous driving and driving with a breathalcohol level of 829mcg on August 5.

Lawyer Liam Collins said Welke had an ‘‘absolute shocker’’, but since that night had displayed ‘‘extreme remorse’’.

‘‘He understands how serious this is. There are going to be extreme or severe consequences for him.’’

Mr Heale said just after midnight, Welke was driving towards his home address at Lake Hayes Estate along Frankton Rd and was ‘‘highly intoxicated’’.

As he passed Yewlett Crescent, he crossed on to ‘‘completely the wrong side of the road’’ and stayed in the incorrect lane for about 40m.

The victim had driven an associate to McDonald’s and was headed towards Queenstown when he saw Welke’s car coming at him.

He stopped in the middle of his lane.

Welke, however, continued driving, hitting the victim’s vehicle. Neither the driver of that car nor the passenger was injured, but both vehicles were damaged.

The defendant kept driving and hit the kerb on the wrong side of the road, losing his left front tyre.

The victim impact statement said Welke blamed them for the crash, believing he was in the correct lane, and described him as being ‘‘completely drunk’’ and ‘‘mumbling’’.

Welke then kept driving to his house, along State Highway 6 and across the Lower Shotover Bridge, continually weaving within his lane and crossing the centre line, leaving skid marks and gouging on the highway because he was driving on the rim of his front left wheel.

At Howard’s Dr, he again drove on the wrong side of the road for about 30m.

Police found him at home about two hours later and breathtested him.

For drinkdriving, Mr Heale ordered him to pay $500 emotional harm reparation and $130 court costs and disqualified him for six months, after which he was to apply for an alcohol interlock and then a zero alcohol licence.

For dangerous driving he was disqualified for six months.