One fine for two offences

A MAN twice caught driving with drugs in his system has been admonished by a city magistrate for his illicit substance use.

Steven John Strasburg rolled the truck he was driving on the Warrego Hwy outside Grantham about 10.50pm on March 2 this year and called police to attend the crash scene.

He returned a positive roadside drug test and was charged but a month later was caught driving when he was intercepted by police on Taylor St about 2.20am on April 9.

He returned a positive roadside drug test on that occasion, and yesterday pleaded guilty to charges in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Strasburg’s solicitor Remy Kurz said the fact his client called police to the crash scene in the first incident suggested Strasburg didn’t believe the drugs would still be present in his system.

Mr Kurz said the second charge was the result of a random intercept and there had been nothing adverse about his client’s driving.

He said his client was a truck driver with a limited traffic history throughout his 30-year career, and had sought drug counselling since the two incidents.

Magistrate Kay Ryan admonished Strasburg for drug driving.

Ms Ryan told Strasburg it appeared as that “something happened “in his life in recent years that he decided to use drugs - a decision she said was unacceptable.

“You put yourself and others at risk on the roads,” she said.

Strasburg pleaded guilty to one count each of driving with a drug present, and driving while a relevant drug is present in blood while a probationary licence holder. He was given one fine of $1000 for both offences and disqualified for nine months on each charge cumulatively. Convictions were recorded.