By Engelbert Schmidl
PREMIER Steve Bracks’ eldest son, Nick Bracks, is expected to be summonsed on drink-driving and related traffic offence charges following a single-car collision in Williamstown early on Thursday morning.
The incident occurred at 4.40am on the intersection of Melbourne Road and Hosking Street, Williamstown, according to police reports, when the premier’s son crashed a black Saab into a tree.
Nick Bracks accompanied police to the Altona North police station where he recorded a blood alcohol reading of .129.
Nick Bracks, 20, is currently on a provisional driver’s licence. P-plate drivers are required to have a zero blood alcohol level.
He was not injured in the crash.
A passenger in the car, believed to be a friend of Nick Bracks, Huw Wilson, was believed to have been taken to the Western Hospital in Footscray with cuts to his face and arms.
Mr Bracks spoke to the media about his disappointment with his son’s behaviour.
“He’s been an absolute idiot,” said Mr Bracks, the state member for Williamstown.
The Premier said his son was very remorseful about the incident.
“This has really shocked me. I just felt hopeless and useless, and you can’t help feeling a bit of a failure in some ways as a parent,” Mr Bracks said.
According to Transport Accident Commission (TAC) statistics released in 2006, 34 drivers and motorcyclists were killed in 2006 with a blood alcohol content reading of .05 or over.
Of these deaths, 91 per cent were male drivers and 79 per cent were involved in single-car collisions.
Forty-seven per cent of those who died were between 21 and 29 years old and six per cent were 20 years of age or younger.
Eighty-two per cent of the fatal crashes occurred between 6pm and 6am.
In 2006, 91 people involved in traffic accidents in the Hobsons Bay area were seriously injured and there were three fatalities.
