Broncos’ Ezra Mam charged over drug test result after Uber crash
By Cloe Read
Brisbane Broncos footballer Ezra Mam has been charged after he allegedly returned a positive result for a drug test following a car crash in Brisbane’s west.
Mam, 21, was driving a Ford Ranger when it and an Uber carrying three people collided in Bardon on October 18.
The Uber driver and his two passengers, a woman and her four-year-old daughter were taken to hospital.
Police and the NRL integrity unit were investigating allegations Mam had returned a positive result to a roadside drug test but were awaiting official confirmation.
On Wednesday, police said Mam had been charged after allegedly returning a positive result.
“He was detained for further testing, requiring bloods to be taken at hospital, which was conducted independently of the QPS,” police said.
“It will be alleged the secondary test returned a positive result on Tuesday, November 12.”
Ezra Mam has allegedly returned a positive result for a drug test following a car crash in Brisbane in October.Credit: Getty Images
Mam was charged with one count each of driving while a relevant drug was present in blood, and driving a motor vehicle without a licence.
He was issued with a notice to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on December 16, and issued with a traffic infringement notice for failing to maintain control of his vehicle.
In a statement, Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said the club had been notified on Wednesday afternoon that charges had been laid.
“We will respect the legal process and will continue to work with the NRL Integrity Unit on next steps, as this matter moves forward,” the statement read.
The aftermath of a collision between a ute driven by Mam and an Uber.Credit: Nine News
“Ezra is currently seeking external support and we will give him the time and space to do so.
“As the matter is now before the courts, we are unable to make further comment on this matter.”
Mam, who signed a five-year deal worth about $4 million in February, could face a suspension of between eight and 12 weeks, but the NRL was yet to confirm.
His contract ties him to the Broncos until the end of 2029.
The mother travelling in the Uber said she had been traumatised after the incident.
She said her daughter suffered a fractured hip and had bad burns from the friction of the seatbelt.
“I remember saying, ‘I need to get out, I can’t breathe.’ The Uber driver hopped out of the vehicle ... to let us out ... the door was jammed, it wouldn’t open,” the woman told Nine News shortly after the incident.
The Uber driver, Marcel Van Den Camp, said he needed help to overcome the anxiety he felt as a result of the crash.
He recalled blacking out for a short period after the collision, and then frantically trying to pull the girl from the back seat.
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