NSW Police have been conducting Operation Tortoise on the state’s roads this holiday period.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Locally, a 47 year old male was detected travelling at excess speed on the Snowy Mountains Hwy near Polacks Flat Rd, Bemboka, at 2.20pm on Thursday, April 13.
The driver is disqualified until 2025. He was issued a field court attendance notice and will appear at Bega Local Court on May 23.
In Bega, a 37 year old male driver was stopped travelling west bound on Upper St, at 6.30pm on Thursday, April 13.
He was tested for drugs and alcohol with a positive oral fluid for methamphetamine. He was arrested for a secondary test and issued a 24 hour prohibition notice. Analysis results are pending.
He was also issued infringements for proceeding through an amber traffic light and defects for worn rear tyres.
Batemans Bay
About 9.55pm on Friday, April 14, police were called to investigate a white Holden Commodore driving in a dangerous manner.
Police sighted the vehicle and it was stopped. The driver, an 18 year old Catalina male, was found to be disqualified and was subject to a random breath test which returned a positive result.
The male was arrested and conveyed to Batemans Bay Police Station where he underwent a breath analysis returning a positive reading.
He was charged with driving while disqualified and a low range PCA and is to appear in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday, June 5.
Operation Tortoise
Meanwhile, as of Sunday, three men have now lost their lives on NSW roads this Easter long weekend, two more than for the same period last year.
NSW Police are reminding road users to stay focussed when driving and to take special care on rural roads with all three fatalities occurring outside the metropolitan area.
A 36-year-old man was recorded as the state’s third fatality when his motorcycle crashed north of Cobar on Saturday, April 15.
Previously, a 27-year-old man died when his sedan and a 4WD collided at Seaham, 40km north of Newcastle, about 6am Thursday, while a 38-year-old man died later that day at 9.30pm when his 4WD left the road and hit a tree 45km north-west of Albury.
All three men were the sole occupants or riders.
Operation Tortoise – the Easter long weekend traffic operation – began at 12.01am Thursday, April 13 and ends at 11.59pm on Monday, April 17. Double-demerits will be in force throughout the operation.
Significant detections over the weekend include:
Tuggerah Lakes
A man has been charged following a short pursuit through Gorokan and Charmhaven about 9.40pm Saturday. The 33-year-old man returned an alleged reading of 0.0248 and has been charged with high-range PCA, police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly, and drive through red light; the man, from Budgewoi, is due to appear in Wyong Local Court on Monday, April 24. His licence was suspended on the spot.
Hunter Valley
A 35-year-old motorcyclist has been fined $2350, lost 12 points, and had his licence and registration suspended after he was seen overtaking a sedan across an unbroken line at 197kmh in a 100kmh zone on the Golden Highway at Cassilis about 11.10am Saturday, April 15.
New England
A 42-year-old man has been charged and drugs seized after he was stopped on the New England Highway at Deepwater by officers attached to Tenterfield Highway Patrol about 4.45pm Saturday. Police will allege when the vehicle was searched they found methamphetamine (Ice) as well as an ice pipe. The man, from Mangerton, has been charged with supply a prohibited drug, and possession of equipment for administering prohibited drugs. He was granted bail to appear in Tenterfield Local Court on May 11.
Flemington
A 46-year-old Victorian man was charged after allegedly travelling more than twice the speed limit when officers from Flemington Highway Patrol recorded his speed at 125kmh in a 50kmh zone on Parramatta Road at Homebush about 6pm Sunday. He has been suspended from driving in NSW and fined.
A 21-year-old P2 driver has been charged with high-range PCA after returning an alleged reading of 0.162 when he was stopped on Parramatta Road at Homebush about 1.55am Sunday. The Newington man’s his licence was suspended. His court details are still to be determined.
Wollongong
A 23-year-old man, driving on an international permit, has been fined and his NSW driving rights suspended, after he was detected travelling at 136kmh in an 80kmh zone on Mt Ousley, Cataract, at 11.55pm Saturday.
There will be more police on roads targeting drivers for dangerous behaviours that have lead to loss of life on our roads, including speeding, drink and drug-driving, mobile phone use, and not wearing seatbelts.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, of the Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, said the deaths of the three men on rural roads was a major cause for concern.
“When we investigate roads deaths we look always look at major risk factors such as speed and fatigue,” Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.
“While these deaths are devastating to all involved, I do take a positive news from the progressive statistics that show fewer major crashes recorded this campaign (216 this year, 26 fewer than last year), and fewer people injured as a consequence (78 people injured this year compared to 86 last year),” Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.
Key statistics (progressive total):
Speed infringements: 4726
Breath tests: 142,165
PCA charges: 150
Major crashes: 216
Fatalities: 3.