An evidential breath test showed 1623 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. Photo / Duncan Brown
An evidential breath test showed 1623 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. Photo / Duncan Brown
A fork lift operator who rear-ended a truck at traffic lights in Christchurch last night blew one of the highest breath-alcohol levels ever recorded in New Zealand.
Raymond George Gilchrist, 49, told police he'd downed five jugs of beer since he began drinking at 7am yesterday.
Despite not having alicence, and being incredibly drunk, Gilchrist decided to get behind the wheel of his Toyota car at rush hour.
At about 5.35pm, he was driving on Brougham St in the Sydenham area of Christchurch in heavy commuter traffic.
The Sockburn man drove into the back of a stationary truck waiting in a line of traffic at a red light.
Police arriving at the scene soon noticed he was drunk.
An evidential breath test showed 1623 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - more than four times the limit for prosecution at court, and more than six times the limit for an infringement notice.
