Crimeline: Kids unrestrained in speeding campervan
Police were shocked to find eight people – six of them unrestrained - in a campervan caught speeding on State Highway 6 near Kingston last Sunday.
The campervan was clocked at 106kmh in a 90kmh zone at Fairlight and when stopped, officers found only the driver and passenger were wearing seatbelts. The six unrestrained in the back included a four-year-old child and two teenagers, aged 14 and 15.
Otago Lakes Central Area Road Policing Manager Steve Watt says it was “a disaster waiting to happen”.
"The driver was issued with infringements for speed, failing to properly restrain a child under 7 and child 14 and under, and not wearing a seatbelt,” Watt says.
Three unrestrained adult passengers were also issued with infringements for failing to wear a seatbelt. Three passengers were transported back to Queenstown by Police to make safe travel arrangements.
"Speed and restraints are major causes of death and serious injury on our roads, and this vehicle was a disaster waiting to happen,” Watt says.
Repeat speedster's car impounded
In "another disaster waiting to happen”, Watt says an Auckland man was stopped in Tarras on Friday, 1 August, for allegedly clocking 145kmh in a 100kmh zone.
His licence was suspended but he was caught speeding again, the next day.
"Despite being suspended the very next day this man continued to drive at speed and was stopped on State Highway 6 near Garston allegedly doing 108kmh in a 100kmh zone. This time Police impounded his car, and the man was summonsed to appear in court for driving while suspended.
“This type of behaviour puts every road user at risk, and we will continue to detect and enforce any breaches of road rules rigorously,” Watt warns.
Not lovin' it
A customer at McDonald’s Restaurant in Camp Street came up with a novel way to avoid paying at 5am on Saturday, 2 August, when he allegedly ripped the restaurant Eftpos machine from its terminal and ran out of the store with it.
Constable Amanda Shute says the young man was chased by security staff and marched back to the store 10 minutes later. Police arrested a 23-year-old local man and charged him with wilful damage and theft. He’s due to appear in the Queenstown District Court on 22 September.
