Zachary Thomas Schmidt disqualified from driving for four years

The dog squad was called in to find a man who jumped out of a moving police divvy van.

Zachary Thomas Schmidt. Picture: Facebook

A Geelong man jumped from a moving van after he failed to produce his driver’s licence, prompting a frantic search by the police dog squad.

Zachary Thomas Schmidt pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday to refusing to produce a licence, and failing to have his probationary licence on him.

Police prosecutor Kerrie Ann Maroney said Schmidt was pulled over by police about 1km away from his home at 11.55pm on October 25 last year.

The court heard the 25-year-old refused to produce a licence.

Police then conducted a breath test on Schmidt, and he voluntarily decided to go to a station in the back of a police car.

While travelling on the Bellarine Highway in the police car, Schmidt unlocked his seatbelt, opened the rear passenger door, jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran away from police.

Ms Maroney said police were concerned for Schmidt’s safety as a result of his reckless action and called in the dog squad, who failed to find him.

Zachary Thomas Schmidt. Picture: Facebook

Ms Maroney said police found Schmidt at his home the next day.

Schmidt, through his lawyer, said he was disappointed by his behaviour.

The lawyer said his client had grown up in Wodonga where he had difficult upbringing and had moved to Geelong to start fresh.

“He is extremely disappointed in himself. He hasn’t driven since and has sold his car,” he said.

“He knew he mucked up, he felt like a complete failure to himself and threw all the good work he had done down the drain”.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie disqualified Schmidt from driving for four years, The disqualification was backdated to October 26, 2022.

He was convicted and fined $900.

Originally published as Zachary Thomas Schmidt disqualified from driving for four years