A Melbourne P-plate driver was allegedly caught drunk twice in 12 hours on the Western Highway by Victoria Police.
A P-plater got off to a bad start to his long weekend after he was caught drink-driving twice in 12 hours on one of Victoria’s busiest highways.
The man, 29, had his red Mazda stopped by police on the Western Freeway at Myrniong, northwest of Melbourne, on Thursday evening.
After a positive traffic test, he was taken to the police station where he allegedly recorded a blood alcohol level of 0.133. The blood alcohol limit for P plate drivers is zero.
The man’s license was immediately suspended and infringement notices were issued for drink-driving, speeding by 20km/h and failing to produce P plates.
Twelve hours later, around 6am on Friday, police returned to the Western Highway 40km at Warrenheip following reports that a driver had crashed into a pole.
P-plater allegedly caught drink-driving twice in 12 hours by Victoria Police (stock image)
“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 a conclusive breath test of 0.134,” police said.
“Police discovered his violation notices and documents regarding his license suspension inside the crashed vehicle.”
The driver was charged with exceeding the prescribed alcohol concentration and driving while suspended.
He was released on bail to face Ballarat Magistrates Court in November.
Ballarat Police Senior Sergeant Paul Maslunka said incidents like this show some drivers are unwilling to listen to the road rules.
There is a heavy police presence in Victoria over the long weekend (stock image)
“While this incident is an isolated incident, it highlights the fact that some people still don’t get the message or are so self-centered that they don’t care about other road users,” said Staff Sgt. Maslunka.
“In reality, we are dealing with less than 1% of road users who make mistakes throughout the year, but it is this group who are systematically involved in road trauma.
“I’d like to thank the remaining 99 percent who are doing the right thing and encourage everyone to do their part to keep the roads safe over this long weekend.”
The P-plater was allegedly caught drink-driving not once but twice on the Western Highway in Melbourne’s northwest.
