4 April 2011

The Commodores of Wanniassa

| johnboy
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crash pic

An 18-year-old man is in critical condition in The Canberra Hospital following a pursuit with police in the early hours of this morning (Sunday, April 3).

About 12.26am members from Tuggeranong Police Station were on mobile patrol when they have attempted to pull over a black Holden Commodore on Garratt Street in Wanniassa.

The driver of the Commodore failed to stop and a pursuit commenced along Wheeler Crescent, onto Fincham Crescent and Sternberg Crescent, with the driver reaching speeds of up to 120km/h. As the car turned back on to Wheeler Crescent the driver lost control and collided with a tree, impacting on the rear driver’s side passenger door.

Two men fled the car while two other males remained in the car, one with critical injuries. The driver was located a short time later and was arrested. He will be charged with a number of serious driving offences, including drink-driving.

One of the passengers is still missing and police are appealing for him to come forward.

A blue Holden Commodore sedan, possibly a VL, with P-plates was in the vicinity shortly before the pursuit commenced. Police would like to speak with the driver and passengers of this vehicle.

Anyone who may be able to assist police with the investigation are asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website on www.act.crimestoppers.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

tree down

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

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“The wheel pictured above is K-speed or Zenetti rim from Tempe Tyres, which suggests to me the car is yet another V6 Commodore with big wheels and chopped springs (aka a “Notdadz/Rushhour” special).”

So Tempe tyres in Sydney are the only people who sells rims…my mother has rims…does this make her a rushhour hoon?

“Are there laws in the ACT that prevent a P-plater driving anything more than a 6 cylinder vehicle?”

No.

Are there laws in the ACT that prevent a P-plater driving anything more than a 6 cylinder vehicle? Last Saturday night I was passed on Hindmarsh Drive by a silver Holden Commodore SS (ACT registration ***-***) travelling at what I estimated to be around 170-180km/h in an 80km/h zone. There were 4 youths in the car and it was displaying red P-plates.

Keijidosha said :

The wheel pictured above is K-speed or Zenetti rim from Tempe Tyres, which suggests to me the car is yet another V6 Commodore with big wheels and chopped springs (aka a “Notdadz/Rushhour” special).

Indeed. Let’s play, “watch just how much I can stuff up the dynamics of an already dynamically sketchy sh*t box”. I reckon cutting springs ought to be punishable by death (I suppose it sometimes is). More likely dropped to the bumps stops, too. Hello infinate spring rates and all the joy that follows when bumps are enountered at high speed and mid corner (aaannnnndd off we go). I’ll bet the driving positon was a sight to behold as well. Seat laid down and back to the point of trying to drive it from the back seat, all the controls at full stretch and barely able to see over the instrument binnacle (cap backwards optional).

The small tree was set to contribute a hell of a lot more to the world than the rubbish who killed it, too. If someone destroys a tree in a tree preservation area, or on private land, they are up for thousands for the lost tree. A charge for killing a useful tree should be added to penalties levied for dangerous driving.

BAN COMMODORES!
Can we just can something already?

Sad to see that a small tree who was only young and had a lot of years to look forward to has lost its life.

As for the low life who were out drink driving.. ppffttttt

Pommy bastard said :

That poor tree!

Yep, and not easily or quickly replaced. Gone forever.

Like others here, I’m seeing increased aggressive and dangerous driving on the roads. I see plenty of Queanbeyan and other NSW cop cars around Qbn and surrounds, but rarely see ACT police unless they are standing at intersections for some foreign VIP. The so-called police you see around the Parliamentary Triangle and the airport are those security guard people with AFP cars.

The latest trend seems to be people overtaking when there’s oncoming traffic, causing both lots of cars to take evasive action.

puggy said :

damien haas said :

I dont think you could say a Commodore was a high powered vehicle. If he is a P plater, it will be a six cylinder.

Dunno… judging by those wheels, my guess it that it’s a HSV from the early to mid naughties.

The wheel pictured above is K-speed or Zenetti rim from Tempe Tyres, which suggests to me the car is yet another V6 Commodore with big wheels and chopped springs (aka a “Notdadz/Rushhour” special).

JessP said :

But when he did this chase on Need for Speed or whatever other PS3/XBOX game it was fine!!

And no one was hurt……

There were car chases, hoons and young people testing, and exceeding, their limits a long time before computer games. I don’t think anyone could find a legitimate link between the two. I’ve played plenty of such games – but have been able to leave that behaviour firmly in the lounge room… Just like I’ve watched plenty of violent movies (my friend’s made me do it – it was not my choice that violence was involved) – yet never once attacked, maimed or slaughtered, well, anyone…

I’d put money on that the driver in this case was already known to Police, despite his yoof; and more on the fact that it was for more than just hooning… This sort of disregard for authority is ingrained from birth in a small proportion of our community.

georgesgenitals9:41 am 04 Apr 11

Commodores, even as 6 cylinder cars, and not what you would call underpowered. A ten year old base model 6 cyl will comfortably whoop many new cars in a straight line. The V8s are much more powerful again, the basic LS1 having about 300hp.

The problem is that holding the throttle down for several seconds results in high speeds, and commodores aren’t the greatest handling vehicle in tight cornering (in fact that aren’t that good at all). Lots of straight line speed without the handling to match makes these things pretty damn dangerous in the hands of a 17 year old wannabe.

But when he did this chase on Need for Speed or whatever other PS3/XBOX game it was fine!! And no one was hurt……

damien haas said :

I dont think you could say a Commodore was a high powered vehicle. If he is a P plater, it will be a six cylinder.

Dunno… judging by those wheels, my guess it that it’s a HSV from the early to mid naughties. In that case, yes high powered. Anyway who says a P-plater, who is driving while drunk, and willing to evade the cops, will abide by any power restriction law?

screaming banshee8:43 am 04 Apr 11

AcidRose said :

oh man…When? I saw When are these stupid testosterone fueled car chases gonna stop??? When we kill another innocent family with a innocent young baby? Did we learn NOTHING from last years tragic loss of the Oppealear Family? FFS???!!!!!

There, I fixed it for you

AcidRose said :

oh man…When? I saw When are these stupid testosterone fueled car chases gonna stop??? When we kill another innocent family with a young baby? Did we learn NOTHING from last years tragic loss of the Oppealear Family? FFS???!!!!!

They will stop when criminals stop running from Police.

If Police weren’t allowed to chase then criminals would undertake more risk, more regularly to get away with offences.

miz said :

Nevertheless, it sounds as if it is the passenger who is in a critical condition in hospital. I know that I was a passenger in a few stupid car chases as a teenager – and it was not my choice that high speeds happened.

Yes, but you choose your friends, and if your friends are hoons, then you are somewhat responsible for your fate.

Pommy bastard7:32 am 04 Apr 11

If they Mully themselves with only the loss of a tree, I’m happy.

GottaLoveCanberra said :

The increased patrols started around 2006/7 or so I reckon. I used to go out ‘cruising’ all the time and we rarely ever saw patrol cars. Now I see one every day.

Out of interest, where do you see these cars ‘everyday’? I drove for my job for about 6 years, mostly early afternoon and late evenings, and from my experience, around that time the number of police on the roads dropped dramatically. I remember in the old days, you used to be able to guarantee seeing a police car parked on Adelaide Ave opposite the mint, or even see an RBT or speed trap setup on the parkway or Barry Dr almost every week. Maybe driving home between 10-11pm on friday and saturday night wasnt the best time to see them, but I honestly didnt know when was.

One interesting thing Ive found though, is some people seem to attract police attention, whether from where they are or who theyre with. A drug-using friend many years ago, seemed like everytime she went to Civic, there would be some police interaction.. Im sure that members of Rush Hour believe that there is quite an extensive police presence on our roads too.

I think the reason for this, is since the introduction of cameras and, well, no basically just since cameras, the number of police patrols on our roads has dropped dramatically. The fact that some certain groups and individuals (ie. rushhour, mullys, masseys, etc) seem to have interactions with police just shows that the boys in blue are still able to target some offenders even with the reduction in their numbers and diversion of funding allocated for road patrols, being diverted to camera ‘road safety’ campaigns instead.

oh man…When? I saw When are these stupid testosterone fueled car chases gonna stop??? When we kill another innocent family with a young baby? Did we learn NOTHING from last years tragic loss of the Oppealear Family? FFS???!!!!!

I dont think you could say a Commodore was a high powered vehicle. If he is a P plater, it will be a six cylinder. He has a few people on board, so that adds weight. As the speed limit in the ACT is 100kmh, pretty much any vehicle on our roads today can exceed that fairly easily.

GottaLoveCanberra6:56 pm 03 Apr 11

miz said :

I suspect there are just more cops about these days (I know it seems unbelievable, but in Canberra in the 70s and 80s you rarely saw one, and kids would do a fair bit of impromptu drag racing).

The increased patrols started around 2006/7 or so I reckon. I used to go out ‘cruising’ all the time and we rarely ever saw patrol cars. Now I see one every day.

wow demolished that tree. innocent bystander.

screaming banshee3:26 pm 03 Apr 11

impacting on the rear driver’s side passenger door.

Oddly specific much?

Pommy bastard said :

That poor tree!

+1

Nevertheless, it sounds as if it is the passenger who is in a critical condition in hospital. I know that I was a passenger in a few stupid car chases as a teenager – and it was not my choice that high speeds happened.

I suspect there are just more cops about these days (I know it seems unbelievable, but in Canberra in the 70s and 80s you rarely saw one, and kids would do a fair bit of impromptu drag racing).

My concern in this case is that there was a police pursuit (shades of the Mully situation).

georgesgenitals12:49 pm 03 Apr 11

Eugenics.

🙁 Tragic. Absolutely tragic.

That was a beautiful tree.

FFS, what is wrong with these people?

Agree mate. For some reason we seem to be growing these people at the lower end of the gene pool – and there is getting to be more of them. What does it take for the message, or any message really, to get through?

Great mates they were riding with. The Police shouldn’t have any problems identifying them what with that large yellow streak running down the centre of their backs!!

Unfortunately, this sort of senseless, dangerous ‘hooliganism’ has become common on our streets. It usually involves some sort of idiot in a relatively high powered vehicle with a sense of arrogance mixed with stupidity. In the last 3 months I have personally bore witness to countless acts of dangerous driving on our ACT roads. On Friday, I was literally forced off the road by a light blue mid 1990’s Ford Falcon! This happened on Majura Road at approximately 3:20pm just after the Brand Depot roundabout and just before the traffic lights. He had all the intent of hitting my car on the driver’s side and I was forced to swerve off the road onto the dirt shoulder. I severely doubt these mongrel idiots will ever learn regardless of whether people are injured or killed.

Pommy bastard10:44 am 03 Apr 11

That poor tree!

Idiot. So just to try to (assumably) escape a drink driving charge he’s now going to be up for culpable driving causing grievous bodily harm or death, plus a bunch of other charges. Should serve time for that one.

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