Teen turns traffic ticket into more serious charges
A YOUNG P-plate driver badly damaged his car and is now facing charges after trying to run from police to avoid a ticket.
Police from the Richmond Local Area Command have reported on their Facebook page the teenager sped off when officers tried to stop the vehicle for a random breath test at River St, Ballina, on Monday.
Police said the car raced up Martin St before turning into Tamar St, mounting the gutter, damaging his wheel rims and rupturing the car's sump, dumping the oil that should have been lubricating the engine onto the road.
The driver continued on, now blowing smoke, before eventually giving up his flight from police at Norton St.
When police asked the young driver why he tried to flee, he answered it was because he didn't want to be caught driving with more than one passenger aged under 21 - there were three passengers in the car, all aged under 21.
The young driver got his ticket for breaching the restrictions placed on a P1 licence, but was also charged with the serious offences of dangerous driving and negligent driving.
