A distraught and drunk Christchurch earthquake victim parked his car across a remote West Coast road in the hope that another vehicle would crash into it and end his life, the Greymouth District Court has heard.
But after the first two vehicles to round the bend took evasive action andcrashed into a paddock, Michael Joseph Coster fled the scene, leading police on a dangerous pursuit that ended with his arrest at Franz Josef Glacier when residents, concerned for their own safety, brought his capers to an end.
On Tuesday, Coster, 38, was remanded in custody for sentencing on November 22 after he admitted charges of driving with excess blood-alcohol, driving while disqualified, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police and breaching early release conditions.
During the February 22 earthquake Coster became separated from his girlfriend, who was killed by falling debris, and fled to the West Coast, ignoring an indefinite disqualification imposed because of his 13 previous drink-driving convictions and 21 for driving while disqualified.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Harris said that on February 25, while driving between Ross and Harihari, Coster parked his car across the road on a tight bend, leaving traffic no room to pass. After two cars veered around the vehicle and crashed, Coster drove off but returned after police had arrived to help the owners of the crashed cars.
When Coster's vehicle was identified as the cause of the mayhem, police gave chase as he fled south, but abandoned the pursuit when Coster's speed topped 130km/h and he was taking corners on the wrong side of the road.
When Coster reached Franz Josef he drove up and down the busy main street, at speed, several times with the radio blaring and hazard lights flashing.
He then mounted the footpath and caused pedestrians to leap for safety as he drove along it.
When he eventually stopped the vehicle local residents pounced on it and grabbed the keys. They kept Coster locked inside the vehicle until police arrived.
A blood-alcohol test showed Coster was more than three times over the limit.
Lawyer Eymard Bradley said Coster accepted that he would be going back to jail and did not seek bail during the remand period.
