Police in Northland say a driver towing a boat on State Highway 1 allegedly blew five times the legal breath alcohol limit.
The incident took place on Sunday morning after another motorist called police concerned a vehicle towing a boat near Waipu was being driven dangerously.
Once stopped, the driver allegedly blew 1280mcg, Northland road policing manager Inspector Anne-Marie Fitchett said.
“This sort of driving behaviour is incredibly reckless, and unacceptable. It’s a miracle this didn’t end in tragedy.”
Fitchett said over the past week 55 drivers were caught driving over the legal alcohol limit.
“We’ve already had 21 deaths due to crashes on our roads in Northland this year, and sadly alcohol is an ever-present contributing factor to any road toll.”
In the past year, police in Northland have issued more than 14,500 speeding infringements.