Prison escapees, drink-driving mums,

drugs and firearms netted in road blitz

TWO prison escapees riding a stolen motorcycle, two women drink driving – one of them five times over the limit – with children in their cars and a passenger in possession of drugs and firearms have been arrested and charged on day two of the long weekend’s police road blitz.

About 1am yesterday (Saturday), a Glen Innes Highway Patrol officer allegedly observed two men riding without helmets on a trail bike on the New England Highway.

When stopped the pair was seen to be wearing prison greens.

They had escaped from a nearby correctional facility and allegedly stole the motorcycle from a rural property.

The men, aged 26 and 28, were arrested and charged with escape lawful custody and traffic offences.

They were remanded in custody when they appeared yesterday in Armidale Local Court.

About 4:20pm yesterday, Lake Illawarra Highway Patrol officers stopped a motorist at Warrawong, near Port Kembla, for a random breath test.

The 32-year-old woman driver from Sydney’s Macquarie Fields failed the test and returned a breath analysis reading of 0.041.

Police allege the woman, who had three children in the car, was a disqualified driver and the vehicle unregistered.

She was charged with driving with special range PCA, drive while disqualified and use unregistered/uninsured vehicle.

About 12:15am today (Sunday), Quakers Hill Highway Patrol officers allegedly observed a sedan being driven erratically and well below the 80km/h speed limit at Marsden Park, in Sydney’s west.

The vehicle was stopped and a 41-year-old woman submitted to a breath test, which returned a positive reading.

She underwent a breath analysis, returning a reading of 0.252 – more than five times over the limit.

The woman, who allegedly had her 11-year-old son in the car at the time, was issued a court attendance notice for driving with high-range PCA and had her licence suspended.

About 12:25pm yesterday, Manning/Great Lakes Highway Patrol officers allegedly detected a black BMW travelling along the Thunderbolts Way, Nowendoc, southeast of Tamworth, at 167km/h in the 100km/h limit.

The driver, a 22-year-old man, was stopped and issued an infringement notice for exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h.

At 1:15pm, Oxley Highway Patrol stopped the BMW again at Walcha, northeast of Tamworth, for a random breath test.

During a search of the vehicle police allegedly located an quantity of amphetamines, an unregistered handgun, an unregistered .22 rifle and a replica semi-automatic handgun.

The driver was issued a court attendance notice for possess prohibited drug.

His 22-year-old male passenger was arrested and taken to Tamworth Police Station where he was charged with 11 offences including supply prohibited drug, posses prohibited drug, possess unauthorised firearm, possess unregistered firearm and dealing with the proceeds of crime.

He was refused bail to appear in Tamworth Local Court today (Sunday).

Traffic and Highway Patrol Operations Commander, Superintendent Stuart Smith, says police will remain out in force on the roads throughout the remainder of Operation Stay Alert, which ends at midnight tomorrow (Monday).

“Any motorist found breaking the law and risking their life or the lives of others will be caught, charged and put before the courts,” he says.

“Some good police work has resulted in the arrest of a number of irresponsible motorists as well as the capture of two escaped prisoners and taken prohibited drugs and dangerous weapons off the streets.”

During day two of Operation Stay Alert, police breath tested 45,728 drivers and 70 people charged with drink-driving.

Officers issued 1234 speeding infringement notices, 1633 other infringement notices and 107 infringements for seatbelt offences.

The state toll remains at two, with police attending 122 major crashes during the second day of the operation.