Tasmania Police have today charged a 20 year old man from Invermay with evading police and drink driving.

Members from Northern Roads and Public Order Services were a conducting random breath testing operation in the Launceston CBD on Saturday 5 January 2018 when it is alleged that a 20 year old man evaded police in his vehicle before fleeing on foot. The man was located shorty after and charged with evading police with aggravated circumstances, driving a motor vehicle whilst exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit and being a provisional driver with alcohol in body along with other traffic offences.

According to Sergeant Ben KROMKAMP of the Northern Roads and Public Order Services, “the incident was particularly concerning as there were 5 young people in the vehicle at the time, even though the vehicle only had 3 seats. Furthermore the man had chosen to drive after consuming an amount of alcohol. His breath analysis reading was 0.121 which is over twice the legal limit for unrestricted drivers, however on this occasion, the man was a provisional driver meaning he wasn’t allowed to have any alcohol in his body at all.  When taking into account that the driver was inexperienced, he had alcohol in his body whilst driving, and he took action to avoid apprehension whilst having passengers in the vehicle who were not properly restrained, all adds up to an unacceptable risk to public safety”.

The vehicle has subsequently been confiscated by Tasmania Police for a period of 6 months and the man has been immediately disqualified from driving for 6 months also. He has been bailed to appear at a later date.