A SEAFORD woman who did an illegal U-turn in front of police on Frankston-Dandenong Road was later found to be driving an unregistered car with a blood alcohol reading of 0.1 per cent, Sunday 21 July.
The 38-year-old lost her licence for 10 months and the car was impounded for 30 days. After demanding police give her a ride home, she was told she “may as well start getting used to calling a taxi”.
The woman’s arrest was on the final night of the police’s Operation Armada. It involved 29 mobile units patrolling Frankston, Seaford, Carrum Downs, Langwarrin and Mornington and two booze buses and police chase cars on both sides of Nepean Highway, Frankston.
Police conducted 2077 breath tests and nabbed 18 drink drivers. The highest reading was a P-plater on 0.154 per cent. Of 149 drug tests 20 drug drivers tested positive.
Nine vehicles were impounded and 48 infringement notices issued.
Police arrested 15 disqualified, suspended or unlicensed drivers and charged three with criminal offences, including drug use and family violence.
A 44-year-old unlicensed driver with multiple prior convictions for similar offences was found in Orwil Street, Frankston, with marijuana in his possession. A six-year-old child was in the back seat.
A 34-year-old Mornington man pulled over in Dunns Road told police he “knew [police] were out in force tonight” but drove anyway and blew 0.136 per cent.
A 19-year-old probationary driver from Mt Eliza who went from P1s to P2s at midnight, Sunday 21 July, took his mates for a drive to celebrate being able to carry more than one peer passenger. He was pulled over in Young Street, Frankston.
“Having four passengers in the car was legal, it was just the other two mates in the boot that wasn’t,” Senior Constable Greg Wolfe said. The teenager’s car was impounded for overloading.
Operation commander Acting Sergeant Anthony Deason said: “It’s amazing how many idiots were out on our roads … putting people’s lives at risk, especially after all the advertising beforehand.
“We can’t fix stupid, but we can give it a court date.”
Operation Armada will be run periodically throughout the year.
First published in the Southern Peninsula News – 30 July 2019
