Arrested at party after drink-driving

A man has been arrested for drinkdriving after swerving along Christchurch roads, hitting a power pole and fleeing – to a party two streets away.

Tom, who did not want his surname used, followed the driver from Shaw Ave to Tedder Ave, New Brighton, about 8pm on Sunday.

‘‘I’ve never seen such bad driving in my life,’’ he said. ‘‘They pulled out in front of us and I just thought someone is being an idiot.’’

It soon became apparent alcohol was involved, Tom said.

Turning out of Shaw Ave, the driver swerved onto the wrong side of the road several times. Driving erratically the length of Keyes Rd, Tom said the driver mounted the roundabout at Bowhill Rd before swerving into Marriotts Rd.

‘‘As they turned the corner they oversteered, went onto the wrong side for a while, grazed a hedge and a fence and crashed into the power pole,’’ Tom said.

‘‘It just snapped, totally splintered. I’m pretty sure it was only being held up by the tension of the lines.’’

Peter and Aileen Thorpe were watching television when the car crashed into the power pole outside their house. ‘‘Hell of a bang outside. We went out and a silver car had just reversed out of the post and was getting away, but I managed to get there in time to get his rego number,’’ said Peter Thorpe.

The crash damaged the phone lines to the house, so he called the police from a neighbour’s house.

The driver sped off down Marriotts Rd, turning right and stopping outside a Tedder Ave property.

While Thorpe was on the phone, police told him they had found the car.

Tom said the occupants of the car went inside a house, where a party was being held. Police arrived and took a man away.

Police said a 47-year-old Christchurch man was arrested and charged with driving with excess breath alcohol. He would appear in court on June 13.