Mathew Peter Russell sentenced after speeding on Hume Motorway, crashing into parked cars

Police launched a massive search after a trail of carnage led to a man’s car crashing on the side of the road. In the end, it was the driver’s own footage that showed what happened.

Matthew Peter Russell has pleaded guilty to speeding on the Hume Motorway and crashing into three parked cars before police launched a Polair search for him.

A man has been banned from driving for more than a year after speeding at more than double the limit on the M5 Motorway before crashing into three cars.

Mathew Peter Russell, 44, fronted Picton Local Court on Wednesday and was convicted of driving recklessly or furiously in a speed or manner dangerous and three counts of not giving particulars to another driver.

Police facts state the Elderslie man was driving a silver Holden ute fitted with a dashcam at the front – a device capable of tracking the vehicle’s speed.

About 4am on July 13, Russell was driving home from Ingleburn when the footage shows him taking the Narellan Rd off-ramp at up to 173km/h in a 110km/h zone after overtaking another vehicle.

He then decreased to 160km/h in an 80km/h zone before decelerating to the speed limit.

Later, Russell drove towards the Higgins Ave roundabout on Liz Kernohan Dr, before he lost control and crashed into three parked cars, leaving significant denting and perforations in one car and major damage to the rear bumper of two other vehicles.

He fled the scene and abandoned his car near Jackson Cres.

Mathew Peter Russell.

About 9.30am, Russell’s ex-partner saw his vehicle abandoned in a significantly damaged state with deployed airbags and called the police, who arrived shortly after and sighted the car, where she informed them she had not seen Russell.

With concerns for his safety, police co-ordinated a search of the nearby bush area alongside Polair and used geotargeting messaging and social media to try and find him.

Russell was later found about 2.30pm by police and taken to Campbelltown Hospital. He was charged the following day.

Lawyer David Borg told the court his client had been suffering with mental health issues and was dealing with a number of personal matters around the time of the incident.

Mr Borg said Russell was a father of two who was employed as a truck driver.

“The offence occurred roughly between four and five in the morning, when there’s not much traffic on the road,” he said.

Magistrate David Degnan said he accepted Russell was remorseful and unlikely to reoffend, but said to Russell “those types of speeds are just so dangerous”.

Russell was convicted, fined $1500, sentenced to a two-year community correction order and disqualified for 18 months.