Melbourne learner driver hides under tree after allegedly clocked at 186km/h

A learner driver tried to escape police when they allegedly clocked him at 186km/h in Melbourne’s north, but his cunning hiding spot didn’t work out.

A learner driver allegedly clocked at 186km/h has tried to escape police by hiding under a tree in Melbourne’s north.

Police first spotted the car in Bundoora when it was allegedly detected travelling at 186km/h in a 100 zone on the Metropolitan Ring Road about 10pm on Wednesday.

The driver allegedly sped away from Greensborough Highway Patrol officers before the police helicopter was able to catch up with the Holden Commodore from above.

Sergeant Megan Stefanec said the Air Wing observed the driver dump the car nearby and run away.

“Police quickly located the driver hiding under a tree,” she said.

She said the Mill Park man, 23, who was allegedly an unaccompanied learner driver, then allegedly returned an evidentiary breath test reading of .128.

The man’s car was impounded for 30 days at a cost of $884 and he is expected to be summoned to face a magistrate’s court at a later date for drink driving, excessive speed, licence offences and breaching of bail conditions.

It came after another man was earlier caught allegedly travelling at 124km/h in a 70 zone nearby on Yan Yean Road in Plenty about 5.30pm.

The South Morang man, 20, also had his car impounded for 30 days and is expected to be summoned to face a magistrates’ court at a later date for exceeding the speed limit.

The impounds formed part of Operation Saturn, an 18-day statewide road policing operation that has run from the AFL grand final long weekend until the end of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

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