Highway Patrol officers have detected a man allegedly speeding whilst travelling to a funeral at Tarcutta last night, NSW Police say.
About 10:30pm on Thursday 8 September 2016, Traffic & HWP Command Officers from Gundagai were patrolling the Hume Highway at Tarcutta when they were alerted to a vehicle travelling at high speed by truck drivers.
A short time later police detected a Mazda 6 sedan, hearing north, at high speed. A check of the vehicles speed on radar showed 169kph. A short time later police intercepted the vehicle and spoke to the driver and passenger, both 20-year-old males from Victoria.
The driver was found to have a Victorian provisional drivers licence, and was also found to be in possession of an expired NSW provisional licence.
As a result the driver was issued an infringement notice for driving more than 45kph over the speed limit, ($2350), driving in the right hand lane with the speed limit over 80kph ($325), and not complying with licence conditions – not displaying P Plates ($253).
As the driver was also the registered owner of the vehicle he was issued with a confiscation notice, and the vehicle was towed to Wagga Wagga where it was impounded for the statutory period of three months. His driver’s licence was also suspended in NSW for six months. Police later transported the driver and his passenger to Wagga Wagga to arrange alternative transport.
Acting Assistant Commissioner David Driver of the state’s Traffic & Highway Patrol Command said that with the road toll currently at 274, 37 more than this time last year, drivers needed to take control of their behaviour on NSW roads.
“With this driver and his passenger travelling to a funeral and given their high speed, any crash would have potentially resulted in friends and family attending their funeral also.”
“We know that speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seat belt or proper helmet, driving fatigued or distracted are all risks in fatal crashes on our roads.
“Whilst this driver has learnt a costly lesson, and will be without a vehicle and licence, at least he gets to go home. Sadly, many don’t,” Acting Assistant Commissioner Driver said.