Coma, amputated arm after motorcycle accident in Dunedin

Johnathon Andrew Tresler knows the cost of driving while intoxicated.

Riding an unjustified and unlicensed Harley-Davidson motorcycle outside the limits of his restricted license, the 32-year-old crashed into a power pole.

Weeks passed before he regained consciousness.

While in the hospital, a blood sample returned an alcohol reading of 203 mg, more than four times the legal limit.

It was the fourth time he had been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and the consequences were the most serious.

Tresler was in an induced coma for almost a month.

When he awoke, the ramifications of his recklessness became apparent.

Doctors had amputated his right arm above the elbow.

Unbeknownst to Tresler, they had initially only removed his hand, which had been crushed during the collision, but were later forced into two more amputations.

“It is my fault,” the defendant said yesterday outside court.

Attorney Chris Lynch said Tresler had lost all movement in his right shoulder and was in ongoing pain.

That was clear when the man sitting on the bench grimaced, often doubled over in discomfort.

The court heard that the $ 20,000 Harley-Davidson Tresler he was riding in had been imported from the United States but had never gone through the entry compliance certification process.

Therefore, it was illegal to ride it on New Zealand roads.

Tresler said he found a license plate on a garbage container and affixed it to the rear of the bike to give the impression that he was licensed.

He was on Cumberland St early Aug. 1, approaching the intersection with Andersons Bay Rd and the Caversham turnoff, when he lost control, court documents revealed.

Tresler, however, had no recollection of the incident or the previous four days.

In addition to treating his injuries at the hospital, doctors discovered a heart defect that meant the defendant needed a pacemaker.

“You could say they saved his life in that regard,” Judge Kevin Glubb said.

But Lynch said Tresler’s new life was very different from the old one.

A qualified diesel mechanic, he could no longer do that job and planned to become a mentor in the field.

Tresler had also played guitar for 20 years, a hobby he now had to put aside.

The court heard that the defendant, who was last convicted of driving under the influence in 2014, had struggled with alcohol abuse for many years.

However, since the accident, she had been working with a psychologist and had maintained her abstinence.

Judge Glubb sentenced him to three months of community detention and 16 months of intensive supervision.

“I wish him every success with his rehabilitation,” he said.