A 40-year-old man faced Byron Bay court on Friday charged with kidnapping and assaulting the driver of a car he jumped into while it was stopped at traffic lights in the the Tweed Heads South CBD last Thursday.
The man allegedly forced the 18-year-old motorist to drive him to Coolangatta where the driver spotted two police officers and alerted them. They arrested the alleged carjacker at the scene.
Police were told the man climbed into the window of the ute while it was stopped at traffic lights at the intersection of Minjungbal Drive and Heffron Street and demanded the young driver take him to Sydney, before allegedly punching him in the mouth.
The driver took the man to Coolangatta, Queensland, following the man’s directions.
When the vehicle reached Lanham Street, Coolangatta, the vehicle drove past two Queensland police officers. The driver was able to leave the vehicle, and alerted the officers.
The 40-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Southport watchhouse.
He was extradited to NSW and charged with aggravated assault with intent to steal a motor vehicle (carjacking) and aggravated kidnapping.
The man faced Byron Bay Local Court on Friday.
Excessive speeding
Meanwhile, a fourth man has been caught allegedly speeding at almost 80km/h over the speed limit in the past 48 hours in NSW, this time in Tweed Heads.
Just after 1pm (Friday), officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, Tweed Heads, detected a Ford XR6 ute allegedly travelling at 174kph in a 100kph zone.
Police stopped and spoke to the 24-year-old driver, from Tugun, before he was issued a traffic infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit over 45kph.
The man was also fined $2,025 and his licence was suspended for six months.
Acting assistant commissioner of the traffic and highway patrol command Stuart Smith said the four incidents over the last two days were alarming.
‘Despite innocent lives being lost on our roads every week, it’s disappointing and frustrating to see other road users disregarding life for the sake of getting to a destination earlier,’ assistant commissioner Smith said.
‘There is no such thing as “safe speeding” and again, I urge each and every road user to think before you hit the accelerator.
‘Not only do speeding drivers risk their lives and others on the roads, they also face fines of up to $2,252, licence suspensions, and confiscation of registration plates and cars,’ he said.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
