New Zealand justice minister resigns after facing criminal charges in car crash

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New Zealand's justice minister resigned on Monday after police accused her of reckless driving and resisting arrest following a car crash.

The incident involving Kiri Allan was the latest in a series of missteps and scandals involving government ministers with less than three months to go before national elections. Polls indicate the Tory opposition have come close to or slightly ahead of the incumbent Liberals in what promises to be a close race.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said Allan was involved in the crash shortly after 9pm. Sunday in Wellington and was detained at Central Police Station before being released four hours later.

Hipkins said in a statement that Allan's breathalyzer test showed her that she was over the legal alcohol limit, but that police did not charge her with drunk driving. Police said they issued Allan a breath test offense notice.

Once considered a rising star in the Labor Party, Allan had recently taken mental health leave after she was involved in a high-profile rift with her partner and accused of poor working relationships with staff.

Hipkins said he spoke with Allan on Monday morning and told her he believed she was in no condition to remain a minister and that he was untenable for a Minister of Justice to be charged with a criminal offence. She accepted and resigned from her ministerial duties, Hipkins said.

For now, Allan remains an MP.

"Although her alleged actions are inexcusable, I am told that she was in extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident," Hipkins said. "Her recent personal battles with mental health have been well documented and it appears some of those issues came to a head yesterday."

Allan said she was sorry for her actions and was returning home to reflect on her future in politics.

“Over the past few weeks I have encountered a number of personal difficulties. I have taken time to address them and thought I was okay juggling these challenges with the pressures of being a minister,” she said in a statement. “My actions yesterday show that I was not well, and I let myself and my colleagues down.”

Last month Transport and Immigration Minister Michael Wood, resigned after failing to disclose a possible conflict of interest with shares he owned.In March, Police Minister Stuart Nash was fired after it was revealed...