Man crashes into ‘ring of steel’ coronavirus checkpoint in Melbourne

A dent has been made in Melbourne’s ‘ring of steel’ after a $100,000 BMW collided with a vehicle checkpoint causing dramatic scenes.

A BMW driver has allegedly smashed into one of Melbourne’s “ring of steel” coronavirus checkpoints.

The man, 33, crashed into the vehicle checkpoint on the Calder Highway in Gisborne South about 4.15am on Thursday, police allege.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the black BMW X5 crashed through bollards and hit a parked car before coming to a stop.

No police or defence force personnel were injured during the incident.

“The checkpoint is very well lit with good signage and he’s driven into bollards and then hit a sign trailer and other safety objects before he hit a parked car,” Mr Patton told 3AW.

“There’s been debris over 300m or 400m.”

The Sunbury man was taken to a police station where he allegedly returned a positive evidentiary breath test.

Mr Patton said the driver allegedly blew .128.

Police said his licence was immediately suspended and he was expected to be charged on summons with drink driving and other traffic offences.

A caller to 3AW radio, Don, said the checkpoint was currently open and drivers were being let through without being checked.

Police check motorists at a checkpoint on the Calder Freeway at Gisborne South. Picture: Jay Town

He said a $100,000 BMW had been completely written off after colliding into an electronic sign and was sitting there with all of its airbags blown out.

He said it had also collided with the back of an unmarked police car and there was a mess of debris all over the road.

Mr Patton said it was very lucky no one was injured.

“That’s always the challenge with policing, what can seem so mundane and routine can suddenly evolve into something significantly dangerous, just because of the reckless conduct of one person,” he said.

“That’s why there’s a long lead in, safety processes and a range of different things, because it takes us is one reckless fool and everyone is at risk.”

The checkpoint is one of nine roadblocks on major arterial roads out of the city that form what has been dubbed a “ring of steel” separating metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

The checkpoints are expected to be in place until at least November 8.

Police have conducted 32,196 checks on vehicles at the roadblocks and more than 1768 motorists have been fined for breaching the chief health officer’s directions at checkpoints.

Melburnians caught trying to flee the city into regional Victoria could be fined almost $5000 for leaving the restricted area without a valid reason under the directions.

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