(MENAFN) Kiri Allan, New Zealand's Justice Minister, resigned on Monday after being involved in a vehicle accident in Wellington and being accused with careless driving and refusing arrest.

Allan was engaged in the collision soon after 9 PM local time (0900GMT) on Sunday, according to Premier Chris Hipkins, and was detained for four hours.

She was also issued an infraction notice for having excessive alcohol in her breath.

"While her alleged actions are inexcusable, I’ve been advised she was experiencing extreme emotional distress at the time of the incident. Her recent personal struggles with mental health have been well documented and it appears some of those issues came to a head yesterday," Hipkins stated in a declaration.

The prime minister stated that he warned Allan that she was not qualified to be a minister and that it is "untenable" for a justice minister to face charges with criminal offenses. He stated that she accepted and quit from her ministerial positions.

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