Selwyn Times: December 19,

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017 Locally Owned www.star.kiwi GET CONNECTED WITH Scorch Broadband Chinese tourist hotspot Springfield can expect to see more Chinese with two new features celebrating Rewi Alley Page 8 Country cricket top dogs Leeston-Southbridge lead the pack heading into Xmas after a 96-run win over Oxford-Rangiora Page 13 0800 726 724 www.scorch.co.nz Xmas drink driving mates crash close to each other • By Andrew King TWO MATES who had been drinking at a Christmas function in Rolleston crashed their vehicles on the same road about 30sec apart on Thursday night. One of the vehicles flipped and landed upside down in a water race on Lincoln Tai Tapu Rd about 10pm. The other vehicle also ran off the road and landed in a dry ditch. Said Senior Constable Andy Williamson of the driver who ended upside down: “I don’t know how the hell he got out. He was lucky he wasn’t killed.” Both drivers were out of their vehicles when emergency services arrived. When police tested them for alcohol, one recorded more than 900 mcg/L and the other more than 500 mcg/L, Senior Constable Williamson said. Both drivers are under the age of 20. The legal limit for those under-20 is zero and 250 mcg/L for those over 20. The drivers were heading to Tai Tapu when they crashed. “It is just stupidity really,” Senior Constable Williamson said. “They both knew they would have to get home at some stage and drove anyway.” Lincoln deputy fire officer Roger McClenaghan said the car that landed upside down was “an absolute mess”. “I’m not sure if the second guy was looking at his mate that had just crashed and then crashed himself,” he said. Both will be charged with excess breath alcohol and will appear in the district court. It was a busy weekend with crashes for the Lincoln fire crew. On Saturday, firefighters cut two women from a vehicle after it rolled on the Christchurch Akaroa Rd, near Tai Tapu, at about 4.45pm. They were taken to Christchurch Hospital. On Sunday, a 45-year-old man was cut from his vehicle after a crash on Edward St, Lincoln. He was taken to hospital. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER One of Selwyn’s brainiest set to take on the world • By Georgia O’Connor-Harding ONE OF the world’s up and coming brains is living in Selwyn. Lincoln High School student Alan Li (left), 16, is the first in New Zealand to qualify for the International Brain Bee competition and will travel to Berlin next year. It comes after he won the New Zealand national finals section of the Australian Brain Bee Challenge held in Sydney earlier this month. Alan has now been selected to represent New Zealand in Berlin, while Melbourne’s Mac. Robertson Girls’ High School student, Elaine Cheung, was chosen to represent Australia. Alan said he had always had a passion for science and is excited to travel overseas in July. “I felt immensely proud, and excited about the challenge that lies ahead,” he said. The Sydney competition consisted of four rounds of questions over two days. The first two rounds covered physiology, anatomy and histology. •Turn to page 5