Teen Driver Charged with Dangerous Driving After 111 Call

• Invercargill motorist reports speeding driver, leading to swift police action and potential lives saved.
• Police catch driver going over twice the speed limit, resulting in charges and licence suspension.
• Authorities urge public to report dangerous driving to help prevent high-velocity crashes.

An Invercargill motorist may have saved lives by reporting a speeding driver swerving through traffic on State Highway 1. Around 11.10 am, a concerned driver called 111 to report a car travelling at least 50km/h over the open road limit, overtaking multiple vehicles, and weaving dangerously as it headed north towards Gore.

Constable Mel Isaacs, one of the officers dispatched from Gore, quickly spotted the red Audi. The police radar locked on to the 18-year-old’s car, showing it was travelling at more than twice the open road limit.

“I didn’t quite believe it when I saw the speed on the radar – I thought ‘is that right?’” said Constable Isaacs. But it was right. The driver had been pulled over by Constable Isaacs just last week for going 30km/h above the 100km/h limit.

“When he pulled over for me this time, he was more concerned with the speed I had to do to catch up to him than anything he had done wrong. I’ve never seen a car doing the speeds he was, and if it went wrong, it would have been catastrophic. Unfortunately, there are some drivers who shrug at the road safety message, and that puts everyone around them at risk,” Constable Isaacs added.

The teen now faces two charges of dangerous driving due to his speed and manner of driving. He will be summonsed to appear in court, his licence has been suspended for 28 days, and the car was towed away.

“We’re unapologetic about targeting speeding drivers. High-velocity crashes are horrific events to attend, and we will do everything we can to prevent them. The motorist who called 111 today potentially saved lives by picking up the phone and giving us the chance to act. If you see dangerous driving on the road, please call 111 as soon as you can – don’t assume someone else will make that call,” Constable Isaacs urged.