Harley Chessells: Cops watched as hoon did 100km/h train track skid
A speed-loving mechanic looked left and right as he smoked his tyres racing over a railway line, but he failed to see police nearby.
South East
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A dodgy driver nabbed speeding and skidding as he hurtled over a railway crossing has been banned, fined and ordered to do a road safety course.
Harley Chessells was seen by police performing a dangerous driving stunt as he crossed train tracks on a Frankston road last year.
The 27-year-old Hallam mechanic pleaded guilty to speeding and losing traction charges at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The court heard on July 7, 2020 a police patrol was parked in Robinsons Rd in Frankston when officers noticed a car approaching rapidly.
They saw Chessells doing 104km/h in the 60km/h zone and then watched his vehicle spin its rear wheels and skid to the right before accelerating heavily and racing off down the road.
They chased after him and pulled him over.
They asked him if he had any reason for driving so quickly, to which he responded “nah”.
His car was impounded for 30 days, costing him more than $1000 to get it back.
Defence lawyer Catherine O’Bryan said Chessells had never been in trouble with the law before and had no demerit points on his licence.
She said this behaviour was out of character for her client and he was “deeply sorry” for the silly act he did “in the heat of the moment”.
She said the licence loss would be hard for him due to his need to road test cars, but his employer - his father - would instead find him other mechanical duties to do while he served a ban.
Magistrate Charles Tan told Chessells it was pure chance he didn’t crash, hurt himself or someone else, or end up in a higher court.
“What you did was deliberate and incredibly dangerous,” Mr Tan said.
“The County Court often hears cases like this where there have been tragic consequences, where lives are destroyed.
“You are very lucky there was no such tragedy here.”
Chessells was convicted and fined $1200.
He was also suspended from driving for six months and ordered to complete a road safety course.
