Brisbane Broncos media manager Melissa Mallet charged with high-range drink driving

The Brisbane Broncos’ head of media has been charged with high-range drink-driving after allegedly crashing close to the club’s Red Hill headquarters.

Brisbane Broncos communications director Melissa Mallet. Picture: X

The head of media for Brisbane Broncos has been charged with high-range drink driving after allegedly crashing into two parked cars near the football club headquarters.

Melissa Mallet, 39, allegedly crashed her Kia Sorento into two parked vehicles on Tooth Ave in Paddington about 9.45pm on June 2.

Police confirmed officers were called to the street after the crash involving Ms Mallet, a senior media personality well-known for her previous role as a Channel 9 news reporter.

The crash happened less than 1.5km from the Broncos’ Red Hill headquarters.

A spokesman from Brisbane Broncos said it was aware of the incident but could not comment further.

“Brisbane Broncos can confirm the club is aware of a traffic incident involving a staff member, which took place earlier this month,” the spokesman said.

“Our concern is for the health and wellbeing of the staff member, who has been on personal leave since the incident.

“The club is unable to comment further.”

The incident happened near the Broncos’ Red Hill base. (Image/Josh Woning)

Police said in a statement it will be alleged the “Kia Sorento failed to stop and attempted to do a U-turn, before nearby residents assisted the driver out of the vehicle and police arrived”.

“The driver allegedly returned a positive roadside breath test and was transported to hospital for treatment and further testing,” a police spokeswoman said.

Ms Mallet has been charged with “did drive while under the influence of liquor” – a high-range drink driving offence.

She has been issued a notice to appear, which has been scheduled for Brisbane Magistrates Court on July 8. No pleas have been entered.

Ms Mallet has been off work since the incident on June 2, with her last email to media sent out just hours before the crash.

Ms Mallet was driving a Kia – a major sponsor for the Brisbane Broncos – and is understood to have been driving home from work when the crash occurred.

It comes just months after Broncos player Ezra Mam was separately involved in a crash which happened about 1km from where Ms Mallet allegedly crashed.

Mam, 21, was fined $850 and disqualified from driving for six months after being charged with driving while a relevant drug is present in blood and drive motor vehicle without a driver's licence.

Broncos star player Ezra Mam arrives at Brisbane Magistrates Court flanked by his legal team after being charged with drug driving. Picture: NewsWire / Glenn Campbell

Court documents showed Mam had less than 0.01mg/L of cocaine in his system when he crashed at Bardon on October 18.

He was fined $120,000 – $30,000 by the NRL and $90,000 by the Broncos – and also copped a nine-game suspension.

He did not lose his contract with the Broncos.

Ms Mallet was involved in the “Choppergate” controversy in 2011 which ended her career as a broadcast journalist with Channel 9.

Ms Mallet was reporting on the murder investigation of Daniel Morcombe while hovering in a helicopter for a live cross when an on-screen caption stated she was “near Beerwah”.

The helicopter was actually flying 85km from Beerwah, near her studio at Mount Coot-Tha in Brisbane.

A partial transcript of her conversations with other staff before the live-cross revealed she said “they must be going to say we are near Beerwah”, before laughing.

Ms Mallet was sacked five days later, alongside two other colleagues. Ms Mallet said at the time she felt let down by her employer and insisted she was not responsible for the fake claim.

Ms Mallet sued Nine for unfair dismissal and the network settled out of court for an undisclosed sum, believed to be about $200,000.