Drink driver's brain explosion

Regan Brain says he was not thinking clearly. Photo / Geoff Sloan

A repeat drink-driver, allegedly three times over the limit, who crashed into a bride-to-be's car says he is deeply sorry.

Labourer Regan Brain, 26, was horrified to learn the woman he crashed into two days before her wedding - Katie Dixon - was 18 weeks pregnant with her first child.

Brain, who allegedly recorded a breath alcohol reading of 1309mcg, has been charged with dangerous driving, drink-driving and two counts of leaving a crash scene without ascertaining injury.

When he crashed into Dixon he was allegedly fleeing from another smash several kilometres away. He appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Monday. He entered no plea and will appear again on October 11. "I wasn't thinking normally," Brain told the Herald on Sunday.

Brain was arrested after two members of the public followed him through the suburb of South Brighton and tackled him.

Dixon was lucky to escape unharmed, but her car was a write-off.

Brain said he fled both crashes because he was in shock. "I'm still coming to grips with what's happened," he said. "It was like I was someone else for the day."

Brain said he had been drinking after breaking up with his girlfriend of three years. "I had a few beers and Woodys, which went down like Coke," he said.

He was on medication for depression and knew he was not supposed to be drinking, he said, but he was upset after the break-up.

Brain struck Dixon's car at a roundabout. Her car spun around from the impact before coming to a stop only a metre from the Estuary.

Mike Heemi, 40, and another motorist who saw what happened pursued Brain.

When he stopped his car and made a run for it they chased him on foot.

Brain gave up after about 400m and Heemi put him in a headlock while the other motorist called the police.

Dixon, 32, said she was thankful 13-year-old high school student Darryl Grant was on hand to help.

Grant took charge of the crash scene until emergency services arrived. He instructed a man to block the road with his car and turn his hazards lights on, then phoned 111 and relayed Dixon's condition to paramedics.

He also cleared the debris from the road and comforted Dixon until an ambulance arrived.

"He was my hero," she said. "Most adults don't respond that well."

Dixon was stopped at a roundabout when she saw the car coming towards her from the right. "I just knew he was going to hit me," she said.

Dixon said she had visions of the crash that killed Norm Fitt and Deidre Jordan, the elderly Christchurch couple who died when a drink-driver fleeing police smashed into them.

Dixon's wedding was able to proceed as planned. Canterbury District road policing manager Inspector Al Stewart said Brain's behaviour was unacceptable.

"Guys like this are using the same roads you and I and our families use every day," Stewart said. "He doesn't care about other people's safety."