Reckless teen Gympie driver nearly killed himself and others

He drove on the wrong side of the road at 134km/h, overtaking an unmarked police car.

An 18-year-old Gympie region driver has been blasted in court for risking his life and the lives of others when he crossed double white lines earlier this year to overtake cars at 134km/h on the wrong side of the road. Picture: Brett Wortman

AN 18-year-old Gympie region driver has been blasted in court for risking his life and the lives of others when he crossed double white lines earlier this year to overtake cars at 134km/h on the wrong side of the road.

Anthony Aaron Gevers pleaded guilty yesterday to one charge of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, drawing the ire of Magistrate Chris Callaghan for "appalling" driving along Mary Valley Rd at Amamoor on May 27.

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The court was told Gevers had been driving his blue Toyota sedan in the outbound lane at 3.20pm when he approached an unmarked Gympie Road Policing Unit vehicle "at high speed".

Officers noticed Gevers in their rear-vision mirror before he overtook them on a solid white line and continued on at excessive speed.

They obtained his registration number and locked on his car with a mobile radar, clocking him travelling at 134km/h despite the 100km/h speed limit.

Gevers then approached another car near the Blackgate Rd intersection before crossing double white lines to overtake it.

He kept driving on the wrong side of the road for a "considerable distance", not even crossing back when he approached the crest of a hill.

The police vehicle pulled Gevers over not long after.

The court heard that officers told him he would have caused a crash had another car been coming in the other direction over the hill, and he agreed.

Gevers's solicitor, Chris Anderson, said his client's excuse had been that he was simply "in a hurry to get home".

Mr Anderson said Gevers realised it was not a proper reason for his reckless driving.

Mr Callaghan said Gevers had put his life and the lives of others in danger with his actions, and his conduct was exacerbated by a separate speeding fine he had received earlier this year despite holding his licence since only February.

The magistrate said Gevers deserved to have his licence suspended for longer than six months, but the suspension would be kept in that time frame because he lived in a remote area.

"When you get your licence back you want to be a bit more careful - you'll lose it for longer if you don't kill yourself," Mr Callaghan said.

"Passing a double white line going up a hill is fraught with danger."

Gevers was fined $500 to go with his six-month disqualification. A conviction was not recorded.

Originally published as Reckless teen Gympie driver nearly killed himself and others