What could’ve been a $574 fine and a relatively short licence suspension turned into an incident which will cost this New South Wales P-plater thousands of dollars in fines and possibly repairs.
On Saturday, August 3, Raymond Terrace Highway Patrol officers were conducting stationary speed enforcement on the Pacific Highway when they detected an oncoming Subaru Impreza travelling at 116km/h in the 100km/h zone.
Upon passing the police, the Subaru – which had red P-plates attached to it – allegedly accelerated up to approximately 170km/h, before being detected by radar at 156km/h.
Across a distance of 2.1km, the car’s average speed was calculated to be 141km/h.
According to police, the Impreza soon came to a halt with smoke coming from underneath the bonnet, indicating it had overheated.
The 17-year-old male driver produced his P1 provisional licence which he’d only held for two months, and includes the restriction of a 90km/h speed limit, even if the posted limit is higher.
He then allegedly tried to explain to police that he’d experienced an adrenaline rush and tried to evade them, but changed his mind when he noticed the Highway Patrol Yamaha FJR1300 – which produces almost as much power as the Subaru but weighs almost five times less – was gaining on him.
While the initial detected speed of 116km/h would’ve resulted in a $574 fine and four demerit points, he was instead fined $2959, hit with six demerit points and will lose his licence for at least six months.
It’s not known what damage the Subaru suffered to its engine and how much it’ll cost to fix when he can get back behind the wheel.
