A 43-year-old man charged with drink driving at Pottsville on Saturday night had two young children in the car with him at the time, police say.
The man was briefly pursued by police after he fled the scene from where he was reportedly driving dangerously with two children in the back seat.
He was found at a nearby home a short time later, arrested and taken to Tweed Heads police station, where he allegedly returned a breath test reading of 0.128.
He was charged with predatory driving, drive in a manner dangerous to the public, burnout, and mid-range PCA, and bailed to appear at Tweed Heads Local Court on 13 January.
The incident was just one of many during day nine of the NSW Police’s Operation Safe Arrival targeting speeding and drink driving over the hoiliday season.
Nine people have been killed on the state’s roads over the holiday to date with the latest fatal crash in Khancoban, on the NSW-Victorian border on Saturday, involving a single motorcycle crash in which a 69-year-old lost control of his bike.
It is three less deaths compared to the same time last year.
A total of 7,953 speeding infringements were recorded as a result of the operation, 357,499 breath tests conducted and 481 drink-driving charges laid.
NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, said although a few were still putting innocent lives at risk on the roads, the ninth day of the operation showed lower infringements.
‘Although the ninth day of the operation registered lower infringement notices issued in NSW, police are still catching people breaking the rules and putting lives at risk on the roads, increasing the chances of further fatalities,’ Asst Cmssr Hartley said.
‘I commend all those driving safely on the roads. To those who continue to drive dangerously, we have increased police presence on the roads and you will be caught.
‘The fact that we have so many Provisional drivers breaking the road rules is simply reckless and irresponsible.
‘Owning a driver’s licence is a privilege, not a right. Learner and Provisional drivers should remember they may lose that privilege very easily and get hit with a hefty fine if they decide not to abide by the rules,’ he said.
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