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A 28-year-old Gympie man’s decision to drive while heavily drunk cost him dearly when he wrote off his $14,000 Mazda MX5 by crashing it into a tree.
Joshua Dylan Schiffke was driving along East Deep Creek Rd on the night of November 20 when he lost control of the car and ran into the tree head-on.
Schiffke, who returned a reading of .225 after the crash, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence in Gympie Magistrates Court on Thursday. Schiffke was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for 12 months. No conviction was recorded.
His lawyer told the court Schiffke had been out drinking on the day, and despite initial plans not to drive that night, he changed his mind and decided to head to his girlfriend’s place which was about 10 minutes away.
Noosa Heads officer in charge senior sergeant Ben Carroll said police located the first stolen car on December 20 before receiving a call from a concerned Tinbeerwah resident. Police received information from resident at Tinbeerwah that they had found a male in their yard who then stole his vehicle that was parked in the yard, he said. It wasn t until police located the man 42km west in Amamoor at 5:40pm on December 20 that he was arrested. When police located the man, he had to be tasered and was taken into custody, he said. The man was investigated for a series of other offences.
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With Christmas and New Yearâs on the horizon there is no shortage of high traffic, parties, and subsequently more need for safety on Gympieâs roads.
Out of 21 crashes throughout the region in December last year, 12 ended with at least one person in hospital.
At this time of year, Queensland Police Service are encouraging drivers to remember the fatal five of speeding, drink driving, seatbelts, drug driving, medication and driving, fatigue and distractions, to keep yourself and loved ones safe.
As people are urged to stay safe on our roads, we look back at some of the drivers who risked lives of themselves and others on the regionâs roads this year.
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Subscriber only A 39-year-old arborist took his son s car for a test drive while drunk and disqualified, crashing it into a street pole in Glastonbury and blowing nearly four times the legal limit. Zeph Reidy Kelly pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Thursday to driving while disqualified and driving while under the influence. On August 24, Kelly was spinning the wheels of his son s Holden Sedan on a driveway before making his way onto the road. Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said police attended the crash scene at 7:50pm where Kelly had hit a street sign at the intersection of Glastonbury Road.
[Police] observed him wearing a gold ring on his hand which had Bandidos inscribed on it, Sergeant Campbell said. Police observed it was a heavy gold ring with Bandidos Forever with one per cent and 13 either side. One per cent symbol is an explicit reference to membership of an identified organisation namely Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. Photo of a Bandido motorcycle gang member. Picture: Dale Paget Sgt Campbell said the ring was taken by police and they asked Doolan why he had the item. He didn t know it was an offence to wear the ring, she said. Police had spoken to the defendant earlier that day when he was found wearing a Bandidos one per cent T-shirt under another shirt and indicated at that time he was aware it was gang clothing and not to be worn in public.