Drunk, fast drivers are a concern
Drunk, drugged and speeding drivers – including one carrying a sawn-off firearm – kept Taranaki police busy during the holiday weekend.
Officers were involved in three pursuits within 24 hours and arrested drivers for speeding while under the influence of intoxicants – one had his family in the car despite being four times over the legal alcohol limit.
One driver remains of the run, while another dumped his
14-year-old passenger at the side of the road before speeding off – only to crash moments later.
Sergeant Pat Duffy, highway patrol, said it was a concern police had to deal with so much bad driving while only halfway through the long weekend.
The rash of arrests began about 8pm on Friday when officers stopped a driver on State Highway 3 because of his erratic behaviour. The driver removed a
14-year-old boy from his vehicle, leaving him on the side of the road, and attempted to flee, Duffy said.
‘‘The pursuit was abandoned a short time later due to his high speed and reckless driving.’’
But the fleeing driver didn’t get far – another patrol found him crashed into the wire median barrier near Vickers Rd, just north of New Plymouth.
A cut-down pistol grip .22 firearm was found in his vehicle.
Duffy said the 35-year-old Waitara man was believed to have been under the influence of drugs but refused to complete an impairment test.
He was charged with dangerous driving, driving while forbidden, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of an offensive weapon, possession of utensils to smoke methamphetamine, aggravated failing to stop, and refusing to complete an impairment test.
He appeared in the New Plymouth District Court on Saturday morning and was remanded into custody to reappear on Wednesday.
While police were working at the crash scene they received reports of another suspected drunk driver who drove past about 8.30pm.
Duffy said police gave chase and a 22-year-old New Plymouth man was arrested and charged with excess breath alcohol and driving-related matters.
About 5.30pm on Saturday police stopped a vehicle of interest on SH3 near Egmont Village but the driver attempted to escape, reaching speeds of 160kmh.
‘‘Due to his speed and manner of driving the pursuit was abandoned."
Duffy said further complaints about the driver were received as
he headed south. The vehicle was speeding and passing on double yellow lines and road spikes were deployed but he managed to avoid them.
The driver was known to police and inquiries to locate him were ongoing.
Meanwhile, the booze bus caught four drivers, who recorded breath alcohol levels of
350 micrograms, 549mcg, 786mcg, and 825mcg, on SH3 in Waiwhakaiho on Saturday night. The legal limit for drivers aged over
20 is 250mcg.
At 7.45pm on Saturday, on a stretch of SH3 dubbed the ‘‘killing fields’’ by police because of the high number of fatal and serious injury crashes, a 20-year-old from Bell Block was caught doing
108kmh in an 80kmh zone, with a breath alcohol level of 502mcg.
About two hours later a
51-year-old Waitara man was clocked at 102kmh in the same area and recorded a breath alcohol level of 1024mcg, more than four times the legal limit. He had his family in the car.
Duffy said there had been a lot of talk about it being a dangerous section of road but he laid the blame firmly at the feet of the drivers. ‘‘A lot of drivers need to take a look at themselves and be more responsible for their actions and the wellbeing of not just themselves but everyone around them.’’
‘‘This is a small example of what police are dealing with all too often. If people are going to continue with these types of behaviour we will have a bad year for fatals in Taranaki and around the country.’’
The road toll in Taranaki stands at 15 for 2018 and so far two people have died on New Zealand’s roads this weekend.