Police to ramp up roadside testing following horrific weekend of crashes

POLICE say they plan to ramp up roadside drug and alcohol testing on the heels of a horror weekend on Northern Territory roads

NT Police Major Crash Investigations, Senior Sergeant Brendan Lindner address the media about the two fatalities on Darwin roads over the weekend. Picture Katrina Bridgeford.

• Loved ones pay tribute to young crash victim Stephanie Shoben-Franklin
• Teen charged with drug driving, driving while using phone over fatal crash

POLICE say they plan to ramp up roadside drug and alcohol testing on the heels of a horror weekend on Northern Territory roads that saw two people killed in separate crashes.

Senior Sergeant Brendan Lindner from Major Crash Investigations said police would ramp up testing ahead of the Christmas silly season.

“Expect more random breath testing stations, expect to be drug tested because we’re going to be undertaking more and more tests,” he said.

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It comes after police revealed yesterday that the 17-year-old man charged over a horrific crash that killed 24-year-old Stephanie Shoben-Franklin at Knuckey Lagoon on Saturday allegedly had cannabis in his system.

Police said the P-plater had been driving a Mitsubishi Lancer towards Palmerston on McMillans Road when he allegedly veered on to the oncoming lane and collided head-on with a Mitsubishi Mirage being driven by the victim.

“The circumstances of that crash appear to be that the young man had been on his phone just before the crash happened,” Sgt Lindner said.

“We have seized the phone, and that will be part of our ongoing inquiries.

Floral tributes at the scene of a fatal two-vehicle collision on McMillans Road in Knuckeys Lagoon on Saturday. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

“He was also subject to a roadside drug test which (we will allege) resulted in a positive result for cannabis.

“Subsequent to that an amount of cannabis was also located in his car.”

The teenager stands charged with a raft of offences including; drive motor vehicle causing death, driving without due care, driving under the influence of drugs and driving while using a mobile phone. He was bailed to appear in court on December 1.

“Police need to follow the Bail Act, and it was determined that bail for that youth was considered appropriate,” Sgt Lindner said.

The tragic incident was one of three crashes over the last few days.

Sgt Lindner said two pedestrians were also hit in separate crashes along Stuart Hwy in The Narrows on Friday.

The scene of a fatal two-car collision on McMillans Road in Knuckeys Lagoon on Saturday. Picture: GLENN CAMPBELL

“In terms of the pedestrian crashes, it appears in both incidents the drivers have done nothing wrong,” he said.

“This is still subject to investigation, but it appears the pedestrians are at fault.”

Police said a 37-year-old man who died after being struck by a car appeared to have been running across the road when it happened just before 9.30pm.

“The pedestrian was running from the direction of the Hudson Fysh flats, across the road when he was struck by the car in the inbound lane,” he said.

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“The 48-year-old driver stopped and reported the incident to police, but the man sadly died at the scene.”

A 45-year-old male pedestrian was also hit by a car nearby when he stumbled on the road at midday.

He was taken to hospital in a stable condition.