Short trip to trouble
Blitz stops woman allegedly three times the limit
A BUNGALOW woman was attempting to run the gauntlet on a 1km drive home after being stopped by police pulling out of a pub car park, more than three times over the legal limit.
The 29-year-old woman, who allegedly recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.153 per cent was one of 12 drinkdrivers and 10 drug-drivers busted across Cairns during the long weekend.
Cairns Road Policing Unit Sgt Mark Buckman said the woman was pulled over on Aumuller St just after 11pm on Saturday after being spotted by police pulling out of the Bungalow Hotel carpark. She allegedly told officers she had not had a drink in four hours.
It is alleged she resided in the same suburb and was travelling the short distance home when stopped.
“She obviously made some poor choices,” Sgt Buckman said. “She only had a short distance to go, there were plenty of other choices – a taxi, an Uber, phone a friend.
“(At that blood alcohol reading) if something happens you’re not going to be able to react and control your vehicle. It doesn’t matter she only had 1km to go.”
She is due to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court at a later date.
Sgt Buckman said they performed about 25 drug tests during the weekend, 10 of which were positive.
He said they did about 600 random breath tests.
The highest speed recorded over the weekend was by a 33-year-old Edmonton man, who was clocked doing 160km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Bruce Highway.
Sgt Buckman said the man was riding a Suzuki GSX sports bike when he was busted overtaking other vehicles at high speed northbound between Edmonton and Gordonvale. The man was intercepted by police who issued him with a $1245 fine and eight demerit points.
Sgt Buckman said the man allegedly told police he knew he was speeding as he was overtaking other vehicles but did not realise how quick he was going.
He said during their other traffic stops one motorist was charged with drug possession, three for public nuisance, while several were allegedly unlicensed or uninsured.