Harley Robert Bale: Drouin man pleads guilty to dangerous driving

A man’s dangerous driving has been exposed as one of the worst non-fatal cases a magistrate has heard after a girl was almost killed by “300kg of force” in west Gippsland. 

A magistrate says a methed-up hoon who narrowly missed hitting a six-year-old girl and reached speeds of up to 70km/h through a playground in west Gippsland, is one of the worst non-fatal cases he has seen.

Harley Bale, 31 of Drouin, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Monday.

The court heard he rode his motorbike about 90km over the speed limit before narrowly avoiding a collision with a six-year-old girl who was riding her bike with her mother.

Police clocked Bale at 144km per hour in an 80km per hour zone in Warragul in July when he overtook another vehicle on the wrong side of the road.

They chased Bale who did not pull over. When they reached a red light Bale stopped, only to take off again once the light turned green.

Police then activated their sirens and Bale performed a wheelie, reaching speeds of up to 170km/h in an 80km/h zone.

Bale then overtook on double white lines and drove over a traffic island.

Police stopped chasing him because it was too dangerous and employed a police air wing to track him.

Civic Park in Drouin which is close to wear Bale was spotted riding at dangerous speeds.

The court heard he rode over footpaths and through a children's playground at over 70km/h.

While Bale was riding on a footpath he narrowly missed hitting a six-year-old girl while she was riding her bike through a trail with her mother.

The court heard the young girl quickly stopped her bike after spotting Bale but if she hadn’t she would have been hit by “300kg of force”.

The magistrate said Bale was “lucky” the girl was able to stop her bike or he would have been facing a much more “serious” charge.

Bale was later sighted by the air wing pushing his bike into a garage at an address in Drouin where he was later arrested.

He was taken to the police station where he returned an oral fluid test which found meth in his system.

When interviewed the court heard Bale said: “I knew I was doing the wrong thing”.

He admitted he probably “rattled” the young girl he almost hit.

Magistrate Tim Walsh adjourned the matter for four months.

He said it was “up to” Bale whether he wanted to behave during that time.

“This is some of the worst dangerous driving charges I have seen where someone wasn’t killed,” Magistrate Walsh said.

“It makes my hair stand on end.”

“I wouldn’t put a foot out of line.”

He will be sentenced at a later date.