A 50-YEAR-OLD Narrabri man has been charged under Skye’s Law for allegedly trying to avoid a New Year’s Eve random breath test station, on day 11 of Operation Safe Arrival.
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Just after 5pm on Monday, Barwon Local Area Command highway patrol officers were conducting breath tests on Cooma Rd when they noticed a utility doing a U-turn to avoid the station.
After pursuing the vehicle for several minutes through back streets and car parks, police stopped the vehicle in Barranbar St and breath-tested the driver, who returned a positive reading.
He was taken to Narrabri Police Station where he subsequently returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.86 and was charged with mid-range drink-driving, driving in a manner dangerous and pursuit offences under Skye’s Law.
He was granted bail and will appear at Narrabri Court on January 29.
The man was one of two western region drivers caught and charged with drink-driving on day 11 of Operation Safe Arrival, which is targeting traffic and seatbelt offences and fatigue during the holiday period.
Police in the western region conducted 3269 random breath tests on New Year’s Eve, with 79 drivers booked for speeding offences and 83 issued infringement notices for other traffic offences.
The operation began at midnight on December 21, and ends at 11.59pm on Friday.
