NSW Coronavirus: Wollongong police still busting drunk drivers despite COVID-19 restrictions
Wollongong’s Highway Patrol have heard a few interesting excuses from alleged drink drivers over recent weeks, including one involved a serious crash, and another driver who ‘just wanted a sausage roll’.
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While random breath testing has been suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, police from Wollongong’s Highway Patrol have had their sights firmly set on alleged drunk drivers, arresting one man who offered a peculiar excuse involving a sausage roll.
While the Easter period was quiet on our roads, police have warned they are still out in force, busting three men for alleged high-range drink driving in the North Wollongong area, one of them returning an alleged reading almost five times the legal limit.
Just before 9.30pm on April 9, Wollongong Highway Patrol detected a 2016 silver BMW 430i travelling at 86 km/h on Flinders Street, North Wollongong, a signposted 60km/h zone.
The driver was stopped in Gipps Street, and spoken to. Asked why he was speeding, the male driver allegedly told police he had “just ducked out to get a sausage roll from a service station”.
He was subsequently submitted to a roadside breath test which returned a positive result. He was arrested and a second breath tested allegedly returned a reading of 0.225 - almost five times the legal limit. His licence was immediately suspended and a court attendance notice was issued for next month.
Three days later, another man was busted for alleged high-range drink driving, following a crash that could have been fatal.
Police will allege in court around 11pm on April 12, a white Hyundai iLoad was travelling south on Montague Street, North Wollongong, when the driver failed to negotiate a bend and careered straight into a telegraph pole.
It will be alleged the heavy smash caused substantial damage to the vehicle, and brought live powerlines down from the telegraph pole.
After the crash, police allege the driver exited the vehicle and picked up the now hanging electrical wires and tried to stuff them inside his vehicle.
It’s alleged he then attempted to restart his van but couldn’t.
Police were called to the scene and submitted the man to a roadside breath test, which allegedly returned a positive result. He was arrested and taken to Wollongong Police Station, where a second breath test allegedly returned a high-range reading of 0.170. His licence was immediately suspended and a court attendance notice was issued.
Police caught another alleged drink driver in the early hours of April 18, accused of driving more than three times over the legal limit.
At around 2am on Saturday morning, police allegedly witnessed a 2002 maroon Mitsubishi Magna travelling south on Flinders Street, North Wollongong, without its lights on.
Police attempted to catch up to this vehicle, eventually causing the driver to pull over in Pleasant Ave.
The driver was spoken to by police, where it’s alleged he denied having consumed any alcohol.
When advised he was going to be submitted to a roadside breath test, police allege the driver said, “I thought you guys weren’t doing breath testing.”
After allegedly returning a positive roadside breath test, the driver was taken to to Corrimal Police Station, where an evidential breath test allegedly returned a high-range reading of 0.151.
His licence was immediately suspended and a court attendance notice was issued.