Gore man arrested, charged after driving at ‘dangerous’ speeds in Southland - police

A young man’s decision to drive at speeds of more than 150km/h in Southland yesterday could have had catastrophic consequences, police say.

The 21-year-old was spotted by a police officer in Edendale, 37km northeast of Invercargill, travelling at more than one and a half times the 100km/h speed limit about 3.30pm, said Sergeant Gary Iddenten of Gore.

“He tried to stop the vehicle, however, it fled and due to the dangerous manner of driving, it wasn’t pursued.”

Several police staff searched the area for the vehicle before it was found on Main St in Gore soon afterwards and the driver stopped and arrested, Iddenten said.

“A Gore man has been arrested and charged after a driving incident that saw him allegedly reaching dangerous excessive speeds more than one and a half times the posted speed limit.”

Staff also searched the vehicle and found several illicit items, including methamphetamine, cannabis and drug utensils, he said.

The man would appear in Gore District Court on Wednesday on a range of charges including failing to stop, dangerous driving and drugs charges.

Reckless behaviour on the road won’t be tolerated, Iddenten said.

He urged anyone who saw dangerous driving to call 111 as soon as possible.

”Travelling at this kind of speed can have catastrophic consequences in a crash. Unfortunately, this is not this individual’s first offence, and he has other matters still before the courts.

“We’re extremely disappointed that the message hasn’t got through. We won’t hesitate to hold people to account for reckless driving that puts other members of our community at risk.”