Six men are going to have to hop to their Easter celebrations this long weekend after having their vehicles impounded in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
Highway Patrol officers detected a 24-year-old Malvern East man allegedly driving unlicensed along Browns Road in Clayton, about 9.15am yesterday. He was intercepted and had his vehicle impounded at a cost of $913.
A short time later a vehicle was stopped at a PBT site on Mitcham Road in Mitcham. The driver allegedly returned a positive preliminary breath test. He later returned a reading of 0.162. The 49-year-old Boronia man had his license immediately suspended and his car was impounded at a cost of $1042.
Highway Patrol officers detected an alleged unlicensed driver on the Eastern Freeway in Blackburn North, about 11.15am. A 29-year-old Launching Place man had his car impounded at a cost of $950.
Officers later observed an alleged disqualified driver on Burke Road in Kew, about 12.15pm. A 45-year-old Mornington man had his vehicle impounded at a cost of $913.
Police then observed a suspended driver travelling along Victoria Crescent in Mont Albert, just after 1pm. A 21-year-old Box Hill man was spoken to and had his car impounded at a cost of $913.
Overnight, police observed a Ford Falcon travelling at a fast rate of speed on the Monash Freeway in Chadstone. Officers allege the vehicle was detected driving at 149km/h in 100 km/h zone, about 12:30am this morning. The driver, a 22-year-old Greenvale man, had his vehicle impounded at a cost of $896. His three passengers were left to find their own way home.
All six men will appear in court at a later date.
These impounds form part of Operation Nexus, which is statewide road policing operation targeting impaired driving, speed, distraction, fatigue and seatbelt non-compliance in metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria, in an effort to drive down road trauma. Police could be anywhere, anytime this Easter. Operation Nexus runs until 11:59pm Monday 1 April 2024.
