Police admit mistake with breath test of passenger instead of driver in left-hand drive car at checkpoint

Police have admitted fault after a video surfaced on social media of an officer breath-testing the passenger of a left-hand drive car instead of a driver at a checkpoint. Photo / TikTok / alexballantyne8

Police have admitted fault after a video surfaced on social media of an officer breath-testing the passenger of a left-hand drive car instead of a driver at a checkpoint.

The driver, TJ Woodrow, told RNZ he and his mates were heading through Cromwell after attending the Alexandra Blossom Festival in his 1964 Impala. This car is American-made and is a left-hand drive.

The car was stopped three times during the weekend, and each time officers initially went to test the passenger on the right side of the car, he told RNZ.

However, the two previous times, the officers moved over to the other side of the car.

The video that quickly attracted attention on TikTok shows him approaching the third checkpoint, where an officer begins to go through the regular checkpoint checks.

Before the camera turns to show TJ driving away on the left side of the car as they all start to laugh, she says, “Sweet, see ya.”

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In a statement, police admitted they had made a mistake.

“While we can’t be sure exactly where this incident took place, Police acknowledge that it appears a mistake has been made by one of our officers dealing with a vehicle at a checkpoint,” a police spokesperson said.

“In this instance, it would be helpful if the driver, on becoming aware that a mistake had been made, let the officer know so that they could breath-test the driver.

“Checkpoints are in place to help ensure the safety of all road users, and a big part of the responsibility for road safety lies with the road users themselves.”