Police have been left bitterly disappointed after a P-plate driver was allegedly caught drink driving twice in 12 hours.
The 29-year-old Epping man was pulled over driving a red Mazda after he was detected speeding on Western Freeway in Myrniong about 6pm on Thursday, 28 September.
After a positive roadside reading, he was taken to a police station and returned an evidentiary breath test of 0.133.
The man’s license was immediately suspended, and he was issued with infringement notices for drink driving, exceeding the speed limit by 20kmh and failing to display P plates.
Just 12 hours later police were called to the Western Highway at Warrenheip in relation to a suspected drink driver.
As officers were heading to the location, they were advised a red Mazda had been involved in a collision with a pole.
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 taken back to a police station where he returned an evidentiary breath test 0.134
Police discovered his infringement notices and paperwork regarding his license suspension inside the crashed vehicle.
He was charged with exceeding the prescribed concentration of alcohol and driving whilst suspended.
The man has been bailed to face Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on 21 November.
These intercepts form part of Operation Scoreboard which runs state-wide this weekend and will see police conducting widespread roadside alcohol and drug testing across the state.
Attributable to Ballarat Police Senior Sergeant Paul Maslunka
“”Whilst this incident is an isolated incident it does highlight the fact that some people still aren’t getting the message or are so self-absorbed, they don’t care about other road users.
“Realistically we deal with less than 1 per cent of road users doing the wrong thing throughout the year but it’s that group that are consistently involved in causing road trauma.
“I’d like to acknowledge the other 99% out there who are doing the right thing and encourage everyone to do their part to keep the roads safe this long weekend.”
