Nunawading Highway Patrol: Truck, van drivers caught out in string of incidents

Three men driving trucks and vans have been caught out by police in separate incidents in a busy morning on the roads in Melbourne’s east.

A string of truck and van drivers have been pulled up in separate incidents by Nunawading Highway Patrol officers on Tuesday, December 6. File picture.

A truck driver will face court after he was busted allegedly driving while disqualified and under the influence of ice.

Nunawading highway patrol Sgt Paul Egan said officers pulled over the man while they were patrolling on Springvale Rd, Donvale at 10am on Tuesday.

Sgt Egan said automatic number plate recognition cameras indicated the owner of the white Volkswagen van was disqualified from driving.

Officers then drug tested the 49-year-old Craigieburn man, and he allegedly returned a positive test for methamphetamine.

His car was immediately impounded, and the man will face Ringwood Magistrates’ Court at a later date.

Officers also fined two other drivers for separate road offences on Tuesday morning.

Sgt Egan said a 48-year-old Frankston man was caught not wearing a seatbelt in his brown Mitsubishi Fuso truck on Manningham Rd, Doncaster at 8.13am and was fined $370.

A 35-year-old Springvale man was also caught driving an unroadworthy white truck on Junction Rd, Nunawading at 1.37pm, and issued with a defect notice.

Sgt Egan said while officers weren’t specifically targeting truck and van drivers, the string of incidents were concerning, and a reminder of how long drugs can stay in drivers’ systems.

“People can be intercepted anywhere, any demographic, at any time, whether driving for work or personal reasons,” he said.

“It is a warning for everyone out there that if you are tempted to drive after taking drugs, the residual effects can last for days, and this includes medicinal cannabis.”