Five people were caught drink-driving across Wollongong in the space of just a few hours on the Australia Day long weekend, with police again warning drivers that getting behind the wheel drunk can have catastrophic consequences.
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Despite a bolstered police presence in the city and harsher penalties in effect for those caught doing the wrong thing, drivers were still busted flouting the law during Operation Safe Return – the cops’ holiday weekend road-safety crackdown.
Among the handful of alleged drunk-drivers caught during a 13-hour period were two visitors to Wollongong, who both blew blood-alcohol readings more than three times the legal limit.
The first driver was nabbed about 3.45pm on Australia Day, when Wollongong highway patrol officers stopped a vehicle on the Princes Highway, Bulli Pass.
A 31-year-old man – from Jordan Springs, near Penrith – was breath-tested and gave a positive reading.
He was arrested and later returned a breath analysis of 0.061. The man was given a court attendance notice for low-range prescribed concentration of alcohol (PCA).
A few hours later, a 34-year-old man was also slapped with a court notice after he was allegedly speeding along Cliff Parade, Thirroul, about 8.10pm. Officers stopped the Thirroul man’s vehicle. He was arrested following a positive result and later returned a reading of 0.074 (low-range PCA).
Later on Australia Day, a 38-year-old woman from the Canberra suburb of Banks blew almost four times the legal limit after a crash in Bellambi about 10.30pm.
Police say the woman’s vehicle sustained minor damage after it mounted a gutter. She was issued a court notice for high-range PCA after her breath analysis returned a reading of 0.190.
The poor driver behaviour wasn’t confined to our national day, with another two drivers caught over the limit during the early hours of Sunday.
About 1.40am, officers stopped a vehicle after it was seen to mount a gutter on Pioneer Road, Towradgi.
The 19-year-old Tarrawanna woman behind the wheel returned a positive breath test.
She was arrested and a subsequent breath analysis showed a mid-range blood alcohol concentration of 0.132. Her licence was suspended on the spot and she will face court at a later date.
Meanwhile, officers stopped a vehicle on the Princes Highway at Fairy Meadow after it was seen travelling at excessive speed about 4.30am on Sunday.
The driver, a 42-year-old man from Parramatta, gave a positive roadside breath test. A subsequent breath analysis returned a reading of 0.172.
The man’s licence was suspended and he was issued with a court attendance notice for high-range PCA.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
