Phillip Hill doubles the speed limit to win street race in dad’s car

A young man used his dad’s yellow Ford Falcon to reach speeds of close to 120km/h through Wagga CBD during a street race with two other cars.

Phillip James Hill pleading guilty to street racing. Picture: Facebook

A man used his dad’s car to drive at speeds of more than 100km/h racing his mates through the streets of Wagga.

Phillip James Hill, 25, learnt his fate at Wagga Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to speeding through Edward St in a bid to claim victory in a street race with his mates.

At around 10pm on August 17, police caught Hill in his father’s yellow Ford Falcon hooning through the 60km/h zone at around 120km/h an hour.

Court documents reveal Hill was a nose ahead of a purple Ford Falcon when police pulled out from a bush and caught the street racers after receiving reports of hoons along the stretch of road earlier in the night.

“It was clear that the two vehicles i.e. the purple and yellow Ford Falcons that were side-by-side were engaged in a race of some kind, competing with each other to see who was the fastest,” stated the police documents.

A white Ford Falcon driver was also accused of taking part in the race and was also travelling at high speed in a bid to catch up with Hill and the other driver.

“The white Ford Falcon that was about 50 metres or so behind was still travelling at high speed and appeared to be trying to either catch up or keep up with the other two vehicles,” revealed the police facts.

Police caught the trio when they were forced to stop at a red light at the intersection of Edward and Tarcutta St.

Hill who was carrying three passengers at the time of the race, refused to answer police when they asked him about racing the other vehicles.

The busy stretch of road which makes up Edward St. Picture – Google Maps.

He was subjected to a roadside breath test which returned a negative result.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of organising, promoting, or taking part in a race between vehicles.

The court heard on Wednesday that although it was the first time Hill had faced court, he did not have a clean driving record.

However Hill’s lawyer said he understood the seriousness of his offending and pleaded guilty at first available opportunity.

The court heard Hill was an Aboriginal man who had full-time employment and lived with his parents.

Magistrate Halburd reflected on his time in court when he had to sentence a young man for the same kind of offending after they ended up killing someone during a street race.

“It’s (a) even sadder thing … when they are locked up in jail … because they end up hitting someone … their families are devastated,” Magistrate Halburd said.

“It’s usually young male drivers (who) get locked up in jail.

“Not long after I got to Wagga, this happened,” he said.

Halburd told the court a clear message needed to be sent to the community for street racing.

“(It‘s a) very, very busy street,” Magistrate Halburd said.

“Absolute recipe for disaster,” he told the court

Hill was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

MORE NEWS

Zhanee Anne Nora Cameron-Martin: Pregnant woman denied bail after allegedly stealing groceries