By NATALIE GALLENTI
MELTON police have warned they will take a “zero-tolerance” approach to reckless drivers travelling on some of the area’s most notorious hotspots in the coming months.
Leading Senior Constable Allan Edwards said the unit would be conducting a number of operations including one funded by the Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) to provide extra patrol time on the Melton Highway and Western Highway.
Leading Sen Const Edwards said both of these highways accounted for in excess of one third of all injury collisions within the City of Melton, and the extra patrols dedicated to these roads would be manned by members from Highway Patrol in conjunction with members from the Uniform Section and Criminal Investigation Unit.
He said a similar operation last year saw a dramatic reduction in injury collisions as a result of the extra visible police presence on the two highways. A second operation will be targeting distracted drivers along Caroline Springs Boulevard and Gourlay Rd, in Caroline Springs and Hillside.
Leading Sen Const Edwards said the majority of collisions on these roads were not serious and did not result in critical injuries, but are the result of inattention and distraction often leading to rear-end collisions. Undercover patrols will be set up with an emphasis on seat belt and mobile phone usage.
Meanwhile, the Melton Highway Patrol is appealing for public assistance to identify the driver of a vehicle who initiated a high speed pursuit in Caroline Springs earlier this month.
The pursuit took place on Wednesday 10 April, when police observed a stolen vehicle in Commercial Rd.
Highway Patrol members attempted to intercept the vehicle when a pursuit ensued, heading north on Calder Park Drive and reaching speeds of 130km per hour in a 60km zone.
Police said the pursuit continued through the site of another police operation on Calder Park Drive, where the offending vehicle managed to avoid spikes and swerved towards police members.
The offending vehicle continued onto Melton Highway and ran a number of red traffic lights before reaching speeds of about 160km per hour in an 80km zone. Police terminated the pursuit due to the extreme danger to members of the public.The vehicle was last observed in McCubbin Drive, Taylors Lakes.
Anyone with information regarding a silver/grey late model Audi TT coupe that frequents the area is asked to contact Lieutenant Senior Constable Roberts or Lieutenant Senior Constable Kelso from the Melton Highway Patrol on 9747 7970.
