Top German bishop faces drunk driving charge

Hanover,Germany - Germany's top Lutheran bishop has been caught driving under the influence of alcohol, the country's main Protestant body said Tuesday. Bishop Margot Kaessmann, head of the Evangelical Church in Germany, was stopped by police over the weekend when she drove through a red light.

She was breathalysed and given a blood test, which showed an alcohol content of 0.15 - more than three times the limit, prosecutors said.

Bishop Kaessmann was elected last year as the first woman to lead Germany's 25 million Protestants. "I am shocked at myself for committing such a grievous error," she said. "I'm aware how dangerous and irresponsible it is to drink and drive. I will accept the legal consequences.

The bishop is likely to face criminal charges.

Germany has a drink-driving limit of. 05 blood alcohol content.