P-plate rider’s alleged 247kmh police chase with passenger

A p-plate motorbike rider was allegedly clocked at a staggering 247kmh in a 60kmh zone as senior police despaired at a 40 per cent spike in high range speeding offences during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

• Sydney’s shocking COVID-19 driving habits

A p-plate motorbike rider was allegedly clocked at a staggering 247kmh in a 60kmh zone as senior police despaired at a 40 per cent spike in high range speeding offences during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

The rider was allegedly carrying a pillion passenger with the rear number plate obscured when it sped away from police on Canterbury Rd, Wiley Park at around 11pm Saturday.

The PolAir vision allegedly also shows the rider speeding on his back wheel.

Officers only pursued the Suzuki GSX-R1000 a short distance but PolAir allegedly tracked it again on King Georges Rd riding only on its back wheel.

Police allege the 23-year-old male then rode off at 247kmh. Vision from the helicopter was analysed to determine the alleged top speed of the bike.

He was arrested at a home in Greenacre shortly after, when police discovered his provisional licence was already disqualified until 2032.

Police arrested the alleged rider at a home in Greenacre.

He was charged with police pursuit - not stop - drive dangerously, drive recklessly, drive during disqualification period, and vehicle number plate obscured.

The number of drivers caught going more than 45kmh over the speed limit – the worst category of speeding in NSW - between March 16 to April 26 was 425, up 40 per cent from 303 the previous year.

Police have said high-range speeding offences are on the rise.

Vastly reduced traffic and extra room on the roads have been exploited by hoons but NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Mick Corboy said the same number of highway patrol cars were on the beat.

“We recently had four deaths in 24 hours, so we’ve really got to get on top of this,” Mr Corboy said.

“We’re still doing mobile RBTs and our drug testing hasn’t dropped down … all our highway patrol officers are working, we haven’t lost anyone to COVID-19.”

A hatchback was pulled over after being clocked at 163kmh.

NSW Police Minister David Elliott said: “I was in disbelief on learning that one offender was clocked doing more than 240ks in a 60 zone.

“This is absolutely moronic behaviour at a time when our emergency services workers are focused on the fight against the pandemic.

“It was only last week we saw the tragic loss of four officers in Victoria who were simply doing their jobs to protect the community.”

About 70 per cent of road deaths over the COVID-19 outbreak have been speed related.

Despite the state’s speeding problem, road carnage was trending down.

Controverisal developer Salim Mehajer was among those fined for speeding.

There were 34 people killed in crashes, down from 48 the same period last year. And the total number of serious crashes causing injury or death dropped dramatically from 1561 to 791.

Controversial property developer Salim Mehajer was allegedly caught speeding twice in a white Ferrari – once allegedly going 105kmh in a 60kmh zone in Yagoona on Saturday then again the following day when he was allegedly going 90kmh in a 70kmh zone in Rozelle.

Other stand-out examples of speeding police reported during coronavirus isolation include a Holden Commodore ute which appeared to be “street racing” another car at 175kmh in an 80kmh zone on Narellan Rd, Campbelltown on Sunday.

Officers pulled over and questioned the 20-year-old male driver. “I genuinely don’t know hey, I was just like being a rev head” the man allegedly said to officers.

He was charged with drive speed dangerous and speeding by over 45kmh and ordered to front Campbelltown Local Court on July 28.

A BMW is clocked at 159kmh.

A 21-year-old man was allegedly detected going 178kmh on the Sturt Highway at Gillenbah in the state’s south west on April 24.

“I know how fast I was going” he allegedly told police who suspended his licence for six months and gave him an infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit by more than 45kmh.

A man allegedly riding a Suzuki GSX motorbike 125kmh in a 50kmh zone in Grafton on Saturday allegedly told police “I was just taking the bike for a test ride, I am about to buy it”.

Police immediately suspended his licence for six months and fined him $2482.

A black sedan was checked at 114kmh overtaking an unmarked police car in a 70kmh zone through Sydney Airport tunnel on Sunday.

The p-plate driver was fined $572 and lost 14 demerit points after it was revealed the car was prohibited for provisional drivers. His licence was suspended immediately as P-platers only have four demerit points.

Originally published as P-plate rider’s alleged 247kmh police chase with passenger