US politician drives drunk after warning people not to drive drunk

Brian Kolb had written that "there is no excuse for impaired driving"

A US politician wrote a column for his local paper warning people not to drink drive, only to be arrested for driving drunk just one week later.

Brian Kolb, the top Republican in the New York State Assembly, crashed his car on New Year's Eve, police said.

A week earlier he had written that "tragedy can be only one bad decision away", and that "there is no excuse for impaired driving".

Mr Kolb, 67, said he was "profoundly sorry" in a statement after his arrest.

"This was a terrible lapse in judgement, one I have urged others not to make, and I take full responsibility for it," he said.

"There is no excuse and no justification for what occurred Tuesday evening. I made the wrong decision, and it is one I deeply regret."

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Ontario County Sheriff Kevin Henderson told US media that Mr Kolb drove his state-issued car into a ditch in the town of Victor, near Rochester, and then failed sobriety tests both at the scene and at the police station.

Kieran Lalor, a fellow Republican and one of Mr Kolb's Assembly colleagues, called for him to resign as the Assembly GOP's minority leader.

"That he hasn't done so already is a disgrace," Mr Lalor tweeted.

Mr Kolb had written his column on 24 December to mark what was National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month in the US.

In it, he urged people to use taxi services and public transport after drinking alcohol, instead of attempting to drive.

"Drunk driving is not only dangerous to the driver, but to vehicle passengers, bystanders and other drivers," he wrote.

"By thinking ahead and coming up with a plan before imbibing, many regrettable situations can be avoided."