Driver swap in moving vehicle fails to avoid arrest
ACT Policing arrested a 40-year-old Nicholls man yesterday (Friday, 31 December 2021) despite him making an extraordinary attempt to avoid being caught for driving offences and breach of bail.
About 3.35pm, police on patrol in Nicholls observed the man enter and drive an Isuzu truck. After following the vehicle into Gungahlin, officers stopped adjacent to the truck at traffic lights on The Valley Avenue, where they indicated to the man driving to pull over.
Police will allege the man accelerated heavily after the lights changed to green, and drove over the median strip on Gungahlin Drive, before swerving several times onto Kosciuszko Avenue. While the vehicle was moving, the officers observed the driver and his female passenger swapping their positions in the truck.
After the truck stopped on Kosciuszko Avenue, police checks revealed the man’s licence had expired in February 2019. The man also returned a positive roadside test result to a prescribed drug and was taken into custody for formal oral fluid analysis. This test returned positive indications to both methylamphetamine and cannabis.
The man, whose bail conditions included not to drive unless licenced and not to drive with a prescribed substance in his blood or oral fluid, is due to face the ACT Magistrates Court on Sunday morning (2 January, 2021) charged with drug driving, unlicenced driving, and failing to stop for police.
Media enquiries
Police Media — (02) 5126 9070, act-police-media@afp.gov.au