Unlicensed driver charged with drink driving in Riverina

A man whose licence expired more than 20 years ago has been charged after being detected drink driving twice in less than three hours in the state’s Riverina region.

About 12pm yesterday (Thursday 14 January 2021), officers from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command responded to reports of a single vehicle crash on the Burley Griffin Way at Harden.

Inquiries revealed the driver, a 50-year-old man, had crashed his Nissan Navara utility into a drain. He was not injured as a result of the crash.

The man provided a positive roadside breath test, and was taken to Harden Police Station, where he allegedly returned a breath analysis reading of 0.129.

Checks revealed the man’s licence had expired in December 1998.

The man was issued a Future Court Attendance Notice and released from custody.

About 2.30pm, police responded to several driving complaints on the Olympic Highway, north of Cootamundra.

Highway patrol officers located the same man and his vehicle stopped in a rural driveway. He allegedly returned a second positive roadside breath test, and was taken to Cootamundra Police Station, where he returned a breath analysis reading of 0.211.

The Gogeldrie man was charged with drive with high range PCA and never licensed person drive vehicle on road.

He was granted conditional bail to appear in Cootamundra Local Court on 15 March 2021.

/Public Release. View in full here.