Moyne shire P-plater clocked at 158kmh

On Thursday afternoon, October 26, 2023, police detected a red P-plater at 158kmh along Spencer Road at Kirkstall.

The 18-year-old man from a small town in Moyne Shire was initially spotted doing 141kmh as he drove east from the Hamilton-Port Fairy Road.

His speed increased to 160kmh and was locked in at 158kmh on the police radar in the 100kmh zone.

His excuse for speeding was he was heading to work.

"The insanity of the speed is compounded by the fact that the youth had one hour to travel the 37km to his work, that would have taken about 31 minutes if he had driven at the speed limit," an experienced police officer said.

The police officer who detected the youth's speed said it took about eight kilometres to catch up with the offending driver because he was not prepared to put his life or others at risk by increasing his speed to something comparable.

The police officer, with 15 years experience in highway patrol, said Spencer Road was in "an atrocious condition" at the moment and coupled with the two bald rear tyres on the P-plater's car, the whole situation was a recipe for death.

"As soon as we take one speeding P-plater off the road there's another ready and willing to take their place," he said.

"Young men are naturally risk-takers but perhaps they could channel that risk-taking into activities that didn't put other people at risk of death."

The man's car was impounded for 30 days at a cost of more than $1300 and he will face Warrnambool Magistrates Court next year.

He will lose his licence for 12 months and faces heavy fines.

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