Learner driver in Holden Commodore ute busted at 253km/h while on drugs
Police in South Australia and Victoria have reported two unrelated incidents within a week which involved 20-year-old learner drivers in Holden Commodore utes.
The antics of two learner drivers in Holden Commodore utes have been posted online by police after a pair of unrelated incidents in two states within the past week.
At 6:30pm on January 30, 2022, Barossa Highway Patrol officers on South Australia’s North-South Motorway reportedly detected a Holden Commodore SS ute being driven at 253km/h in a 110km/h zone.
According to a South Australia Police media statement, the V8-powered Holden Commodore suffered a mechanical failure shortly after it was detected at the excessive speed, allowing Highway Patrol officers to catch up to the driver.
Upon speaking to the 20-year-old male, the officers discovered the driver held a learner's permit, while his passenger was not fully licenced – a requirement to be classified as a supervisor.
While the detected speed was 143km/h above the posted limit, learner permit holders in South Australia are limited to 100km/h – resulting in the 20-year-old breaking his speed limit by 153km/h.
A roadside drug test performed on the driver returned a positive reading, while the Holden Commodore ute was also found to be unregistered.
In accordance with new laws introduced in August 2022, South Australia Police immediately cancelled the learner’s permit for 12 months and impounded his car for 28 days.
The 20-year-old will face court at a later date after being reported for multiple offences, including driving at extreme speed and in a manner dangerous, breach of a learner's permit, and driving an unregistered motor vehicle.
The South Australian incident followed a bizarre crash on Australia Day in Victoria, with another 20-year-old learner driver in a Holden Commodore ute ending up stuck in a church wall after losing control of the vehicle.
In a post uploaded to Facebook, Victoria Police reported the unaccompanied learner lost control of the ute and crashed into a wall of the Sacred Heart Church in Yea – approximately 110km north-east of Melbourne.
While the learner driver was able to exit the ute uninjured, the Holden Commodore was reportedly stuck in the church’s wall due to damage caused to the building.
The vehicle was later removed from the church wall thanks to assistance from the Seymour Highway Patrol officers, Yea Police, Yea Country Fire Authority, Ambulance Victoria and the State Emergency Service.
Victoria Police did not state whether the driver would be charged with any offences.