Accidents, drugs and booze on Whitehorse road over Easter long weekend

Police were kept busy on Whitehorse roads over the Easter long weekend, with drivers in the area caught committing the highest numbers of offences in the state’s east. Among those caught was a pair who switched drivers at a petrol station, before both allegedly testing positive for illicit drugs.

Nunawading highway patrol Sergeant Paul Egan said the Easter long weekend didn’t get off to a good start when a university student crashed in Surrey Hills last week.

Police were kept busy on Whitehorse roads over the Easter long weekend, with drivers in the municipality caught committing the highest numbers of offences in the state’s east.

Officers pulled up drivers for 588 offences on Whitehorse roads from Thursday, April 18, through to 11.59pm on Easter Monday.

Police nabbed 166 drivers for speeding, 57 for disobeying traffic signals, 34 for using their mobile phones on the road and 87 for driving unregistered vehicles.

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Officers caught eight people drink-driving and 15 drivers under the influence of drugs.

One of the 13 vehicles impounded included a car Nunawading highway patrol Leading Senior Constable Adam Slater intercepted after following it out of a service station on Springvale Rd, Nunawading on Easter Sunday.

Nunawading highway patrol officers caught 15 drivers under the influence of drugs.

Leading Sen-Constable Slater said he saw the female passenger take the driver’s seat and a man, who was previously driving, get in the passenger side after the pair saw the police when they were buying petrol.

When the officers pulled the car over, they discovered the man, a 40-year-old from Watsonia, was disqualified from driving, and both he and the 34-year-old Alexandra woman tested positive for illicit drugs. The pair are expected to be charged with drug offences and the car was impounded for 30 days at a cost of $878.50.

Read about some of the other incidents in Whitehorse

BOX HILL

A driver collided with another car in Box Hill North late on Easter Monday before running from the scene, leaving his passenger and the other driver.

The 25-year-old man turned onto Station St from Severn St without giving way, and collided with a Toyota Prius being driven by a 29-year-old Doncaster woman about 11.35pm.

Nunawading highway patrol Sergeant Paul Egan said when the female driver emerged from her car to see the other driver fleeing the scene.

But his passenger stuck around, staying with the victim until police arrived.

Sgt Egan said both cars were significantly damaged but no one was injured.

Nunawading highway patrol officers were kept busy on the roads over the long weekend.

He said police were unable to locate the offending driver at the time, but were aware of his identity and would catch up with him.

Anyone with information about the incident should phone Box Hill police station on 8892 3200.

NUNAWADING

A cyclist was thrown onto the road of a busy intersection on Maroondah Highway when colliding with a driver making an illegal turn on Thursday, April 18.

The 45-year-old Mitcham woman was knocked off her bike by a Ford sedan as it turned left at the intersection of Whitehorse and Springvale roads after the designated turning lane, about 6pm.

Nunawading highway patrol Sergeant Paul Egan said the cyclist only received minor injuries.

“Thankfully, she was wearing her helmet,” he said.

The driver, a 47-year-old Cranbourne East woman, assisted at the scene and was issued with a fine for making an illegal turn.

Sgt Egan said the incident was a perfect example of why road rules were in place, with the illegal turn having directly caused the collision.

“The signs are there for a reason,” he said.

FOREST HILL

Road rage led to a car crash in the Brentford Square Shopping Centre carpark on Easter Saturday.

An altercation began between two Holden Commodore drivers when one cut the other off at the Stevens Rd entrance to the Forest Hill shopping centre about 10.44am, Nunawading highway patrol Sergeant Paul Egan said.

The driver who was cut off, a 42-year-old Boronia woman, tooted at the offending male driver before following him into the carpark.

Sgt Egan said the man then “put the brakes on hard”, forcing the woman to stop suddenly.

She sounded her horn again before the man reversed his car into hers and drove away from the scene.

Police are still waiting to speak to the offending driver.

Anyone with information about the incident should phone Forest Hill police station on 8847 3600

Nunawading highway patrol caught more than 500 offences on the roads over the Easter long weekend. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

SURREY HILLS

A Deakin University student was lucky to escape uninjured after he crashed his car in the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, April 17.

The 21-year-old Box Hill man was driving along Elgar Rd in Surrey Hills near Fowler St about 4.10am when his car drifted off the road and struck a park bench before crashing into a concrete fence.

Nunawading highway patrol Sergeant Paul Egan said the car “suffered significant damage”.

He said alcohol was not a factor in the crash and fatigue was believed to be the cause.

The driver told police he had left a study group at Deakin University 10 minutes earlier and was not sure how the incident occurred.

Sgt Egan reminded drivers that being on the road at a time when they would normally be asleep was a high-risk activity.

The driver received a fine for careless driving.