WANGARATTA police believe they averted a “major tragedy” in Bundalong after they caught a P-plater allegedly drink driving and travelling at 112km/h in a 50km/h zone on Thursday.
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Police said the driver, 18, from the Melbourne suburb of Ivanhoe, also had two passengers who ran from the car after police pulled over the 2006 Nissan Navara utility owned by a friend of the teenager’s father.
Highway patrol Sgt Michael Connors said his colleague who intercepted the car, Sen-Constable Rohan Chapham, averted a major tragedy.
“It was a recipe for disaster,” Sgt Connors said.
Sgt Connors said police had been patrolling Pasley Street after residents reported cars travelling at excessive speed on the road which leads to a popular boat ramp.
He said the Nissan Navara drove past a waiting patrol car at 7.30pm.
The ute pulled up in a road off Pasley Street where, Sgt Connors said, the driver’s two 18-year-old passengers jumped out and ran, but returned to the car a short time later.
Sgt Connors said the driver, who allegedly blew .052, told police he wasn’t familiar with the car, which he had borrowed from his father’s friend.
“They’ve got the problem now of explaining to his dad’s friend that they’re going to be without a car for a month,” he said.
The car was impounded and the driver will be charged on summons for drink-driving, speeding and ignoring P1 probationary licence passenger restrictions.
Sgt Connors urged p-platers to think before they act.
“They’re not invincible,” he said.