Joy riders caught speeding 240km/h through Yass

FROM THE FORCE: A Victorian man has spent the night in gaol after involving the local Highway Patrol in a 240km/h pursuit through Yass yesterday morning.

Yass police said the 24 year-old driver was refused bail yesterday after being charged with pursuit, resisting arrest and drug possession offences.

It’s alleged he and a male passenger went on a joy ride in a grey BMW M5 sedan from Goulburn at 6.20am, travelling through Yass and eventually breaking down on an unsealed Westbourne Road at Berremangra, between Bookham and Jugiong.

Officers in Goulburn activated their lights and sirens and pursued the vehicle when the driver failed to stop.

The BMW allegedly reached speeds of up to 240km/h and the pursuit was terminated a short time later at Yarra due to the dangerous speed.

They continued patrolling the joy riders and again clocked them speeding 180km/h as they reached Yass.

Police didn’t re-engage the pursuit for safety reasons.

The car eventually broke down on Westbourne Road at Berremangra.

Police reported as they approached the car, the driver began to drive away, however the vehicle broke down after about 100 metres.

After a short struggle with police, the 23-year-old driver was arrested.

The car wasn’t stolen and the passenger was released without charge.

A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of methyl-amphetamine (ice) and cannabis, as well as a gun holster.

The driver has been charged with police pursuit (Skye’s Law), two counts of possessing a prohibited drug and resisting an officer in the execution of duty.

He was refused bail to appear before Goulburn Local Court today.

The pursuit comes a week after two motorists were caught speeding more than 45km/h over the speed limit in Goulburn, prompting police to issue a warning to speedsters.

About 1.35pm on Tuesday officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command noticed two vehicles allegedly drag racing at high speeds south along the Hume Highway.

A speed check revealed both vehicles, a white BMW and a black Volkswagen, were travelling at 185km/h in the 110km/h zone.

The drivers, who are not known to each other, were stopped nearby.

The driver of the BMW, a 38-year-old man, and the driver of the Volkswagen, a 30-year-old man, were both issued Field Court Attendance Notices for driving in a dangerous manner, and exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/hr.

The driver of the Volkswagen will appear in Goulburn Local Court on November 25. The 38-year-old man’s vehicle was confiscated for three months.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, has warned those who choose to break the law on the roads that they will be caught.

“Some of the worst crashes on our roads have been attributed to speed,” Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.

“It’s not rocket science – the higher the speed, the worse the impact if a vehicle is involved in a crash.

“The two drivers caught today speeding in Goulburn are lucky to escape with only charges – driving at speeds well over the marked speed limit could have resulted in a potentially fatal crash.

“Any drivers who choose to not to follow the marked speed limit and put themselves and other road users at risk will be caught,” he said.

A Brunswick, Victoria man lead police on a high-speed chase through Yass yesterday morning. PHOTO: NSW Police

Joy riders reached speeds up to 240km/h travelling from Goulburn to Berremangra yesterday morning.