Police arrest allegedly unlicensed drink-driver after 170km pursuit
A New South Wales driver was arrested on Sunday night after allegedly leading Highway Patrol officers on a 170-kilometre-long chase from Yass to Wagga Wagga – becoming a late contender for idiot of the year.
A 55-year-old man has been charged with eight offences – including drink driving and not stopping for police – after NSW Highway Patrol officers allegedly pursued him for 170 kilometres in the state’s south on Sunday night.
In a media statement, NSW Police alleged the man stole a case of beer from a grocery store in Murrumbateman – approximately 40 minutes north of Canberra – before leaving the scene in a Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe at about 6:30pm on 27 November.
Police were notified a short time later, which was followed by Hume Highway Patrol officers detecting the Mercedes-Benz almost 20 kilometres away near Yass.
The driver allegedly failed to adhere to the pursuing officer’s requests to stop for more than 170 kilometres.
According to NSW Police, the car was later stopped in Wagga Wagga – more than 200 kilometres from Murrumbateman – after the driver failed to pay for fuel at a nearby service station.
After an initial roadside Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) test returned a positive result, the 55-year-old man was taken to Wagga Wagga Police Station where he returned a secondary reading of 0.040.
The man was charged with eight offences – driving on an expired licence, drink driving, negligent driving, speeding, not stopping when directed to do so, police pursuit, shoplifting, and dishonestly obtaining property by deception.
NSW Police said the man was refused bail before his appearance in Wagga Wagga Local Court yesterday.
The 170-kilometre pursuit is far from setting a state or national record, after one man was charged with leading police on a chase which lasted for more than 800 kilometres in November 2021.
As reported by 9 News last year, the 30-year-old man stole a car from a ride-share service driver in the Melbourne suburb of Seaford before fleeing to the New South Wales border, where he was later detected by Highway Patrol officers near Pheasants Nest – about 840 kilometres north.
The driver and car were tracked by a police helicopter in Sydney’s south-west which led to it being intercepted in Leppington, where the driver was arrested with 11 charges – including driving under the influence of drugs.