CEO busted speeding 64km/h over 110km/h speed limit on Lasseters Hwy
A drone company chief executive says he was ‘not sure’ how fast he was going when cops pinged him 64km/h over the speed limit. Read what else he said to the cops.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A drone company chief executive – who is also a pilot – won’t be driving for the next three months after he set his cruise control “on 175” and was busted speeding, a court has heard.
Skymax chief executive Max Lye, 29, pleaded guilty to driving at a dangerous speed, exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h at the Alice Springs Local Court on Wednesday.
The court heard Lye was driving at 175km/h on the Lasseters Hwy February 8, west of Yulara, when he was pinged speeding by the cops, police prosecutor Steven Haig told the court.
“He was asked how fast he was going, he answered ‘I’m not sure though I had my cruise control set on 175’,” Mr Haig said.
“(He) was asked why he was going that fast and he answered ‘my stupidity’.”
He was driving a Toyota Fortuner, and the speed limit at the time was 110km/h, Mr Haig said.
Mr Haig said the minimum penalty for the offending was a three month driver license disqualification, but a “maximum penalty” of two years in prison is also viable for higher level offending.
“First offence is a mandatory disqualification of three months,” he said.
“There needs to be denunciation for the general public – this sort of driving is not acceptable.”
Lye was observed with his head down while before the judge, but stood tall when the charges were being read out.
His lawyer Richard Bryson, who phoned in for the hearing, told the court his client flew back to Alice Springs “at great personal expense to appear in person” for his matter before the court.
“This is the first return date and in the true sense of the expression, it is a plea at the very earliest opportunity,” Mr Bryson said.
Mr Bryson asked his client be spared a conviction as if one was recorded it would have “very real consequences” for a number of “contractual arrangements” Lye has through his business.
One of his contracts was the NT police, Mr Bryson said, and on the day of his speeding he was travelling to “assist police”.
Lye also has “government security clearances,” Mr Bryson said.
Lye’s business was not named in court, but his LinkedIn states he is a pilot and the chief executive of Skymax, a drone company.
“The period of disqualification itself will have a very real and significant effect on his business and his capacity to meet his current contractual obligations,” Mr Bryson said.
“(Lye’s) never been before a court before and you could be confident that you will never see him back before this or any other court again.”
Two references were tendered to the court, which Judge David Woodroffe said “(Lye) served the community in a variety of ways, not just only through business, but also through charities and also working with non-profit organisations”.
Judge Woodroffe disqualified his license for three months, fined him $450, but did not record a conviction.
More Coverage
Originally published as CEO busted speeding 64km/h over 110km/h speed limit on Lasseters Hwy
NT trade mission flies into Singapore with high tech target
A major international partnership could be on the horizon as the NT government looks to Asia for digital opportunities.
Rain on the way: NT braces for possible flooding
Authorities have urged caution as a major weather system approaches the Northern Territory, with flood risks expected in multiple regions.