Zakk Coone in Gladstone court for dangerous driving at night

A Gladstone region teenager has been hit hard in the hip pocket and taken off the road for now after he decided to drive dangerously the night police were patrolling the same stretch.

A Gladstone region teenager has been fined for his dangerous driving at night. Generic image.

A teenage driver has faced court after his dangerous dash on the wrong side of the road at night was witnessed by police.

Zakk Christopher Coone, 18, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on May 9 to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Tanya Griffiths said Coone’s offending happened at the roundabout intersection of Handley Dr and Centenary Dr, Boyne Island.

Sgt Griffiths said about 6.40pm on April 9, police were stationary on Boyne Island Rd when they saw Coone driving a Nissan Patrol into Boyne Island.

Sgt Griffiths said police followed Coone on Handley Dr towards the roundabout in an attempt to intercept him.

“Police were approximately 300m behind (Coone’s) vehicle when they observed it travelling at excessive speed and approaching a vehicle ahead of it,” Sgt Griffiths said.

“Police observed (Coone’s) vehicle to cross over the double white lines, overtake the vehicle, and proceed towards the roundabout on the wrong side of the traffic island in the oncoming lane.

“ (Coone’s) vehicle has entered the roundabout the wrong way and exited onto Centenary Dr on the wrong side of the road.”

Sgt Griffiths said police estimated Coone travelled on the wrong side of the road for about 250m and it was dark at the time.

Police intercepted Coone on Centenary Dr and he told them he had not seen them travelling behind him, the court heard.

Sgt Griffiths said police “firmly believed” that if a vehicle had been travelling in the opposite direction to Coone, a “serious collision” would have occurred “as the oncoming vehicle would not have seen (Coone’s) vehicle”.

Sgt Griffiths said Coone’s driving was “dangerous.”

The court heard Coone had a “small” traffic history with no prior offences of this sort.

Solicitor Jun Pepito said Coone, who was employed in Gladstone industry, accepted his driving on the night was unacceptable.

Acting Magistrate Mary Buchanan fined Coone $1100 and disqualified him from driving for six months.

No traffic conviction was recorded.