The Melbourne P-plate driver was allegedly caught drink-driving twice on the Western Highway by Victoria police within 12 hours
A P-plater got his long weekend off to a bad start after reportedly being caught drink-driving twice in 12 hours on one of Victoria’s busiest highways.
The man, 29, had his red Mazda stopped by police on the Western Freeway in Myrniong, northwest of Melbourne, on Thursday evening.
After a positive roadside test, he was taken to a police station where he reportedly returned a blood alcohol level of 0.133. The blood alcohol limit for P-plater drivers is zero.
The man’s driver’s license was immediately revoked and he was fined for driving under the influence, exceeding the speed limit by 20 km/h and not displaying P license plates.
Twelve hours later, at around 6am on Friday, police returned to the Western Highway, 40km away, in Warrenheip after reports that a driver had crashed into a pole.
A P-plater has reportedly been caught drink-driving twice within 12 hours by Victoria Police (stock image)
“The driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, the same 29-year-old Epping man from the previous incident, was assessed at the scene and returned to a police station where he returned an evidentiary breath test result of 0.134,” a police spokesperson said.
“Police discovered his violation notices and paperwork related to his driver’s license suspension in the crashed vehicle.”
The driver was prosecuted for exceeding the prescribed alcohol concentration and driving while suspended.
He was granted bail Ballarat Magistrates Court in November.
Ballarat Police Senior Sergeant Paul Maslunka said incidents like this show some drivers are unwilling to listen to the rules of the road.
There is a heavy police presence in Victoria over the long weekend (stock image)
“Although this incident is an isolated incident, it highlights the fact that some people still don’t get the message or are so self-absorbed that they don’t care about other road users,” Sergeant Maslunka said.
‘Realistically, we are dealing with less than one percent of road users who do something wrong all year round, but it is precisely that group that is consistently involved in causing road trauma.
“I’d like to express my appreciation to the other 99 percent doing the right thing and encourage everyone to do their part to keep the roads safe this long weekend.”
The P-plater is said to have been caught drink-driving not once but twice on the Western Highway northwest of Melbourne