Number plate and broken street light only remnants of crash

A driver crashed into a street light on Holyrood St, before fleeing the scene, leaving their number plate behind. Photo / Supplied

Police have caught up with a motorist who fled after hitting a street light, leaving only a bumper and number plate at the scene.

Natasha Brocklebank was at her friend's house on Holyrood St, Taradale on Sunday when she heard a "big screeching noise and then a big bang".

While they didn't think much of it at first, when they went to assess the damage, they were confronted by a broken street light, and a woman trying to escape.

"It took her a while to get away. She was stuck and she was revving her car really badly," Brocklebank said.

"She looked really drunk and her car was going quite slowly down the street."

By the time she found the lady, her "written-off" car was parked in a driveway and the woman was inside.

"[She] was in a black and white striped dress crying to some guy on the couch. She looked a mess and was really drunk. I was going to see if she was alright and then I got a bit worried so I thought it was best not to."

They called police instead.

But they couldn't identify which woman had committed the offence, with the driver's friend taking the blame, Brocklebank said.

"If we didn't follow her to that address, she would have got away with the drink drive part of the incident."

She said it was a "really messy arrest".

The woman, believed to be in her late 30s, had "blood all over the back of her dress".

"She was screaming and carrying on. I was just telling her not to resist and to help assist the cops. The cops had to actually call for back-up because she was resisting that much."

A police spokeswoman said they received a report the incident at about 7.15pm.

She said the driver left the scene.

"Inquiries and information from the public led Police to a nearby address where the driver was located and arrested."

Charges have not yet been laid.