Tuesday 3 October 2017

Operation Slow Down wraps up the Long Weekend

BY JESSICA ROUSE and IAN CROUCH

It's been a tragic long weekend on the Hunter's roads, with three lives lost.

A 57-year-old man died when his Honda Jazz crashed into a fence on Kalaroo Road at Redhead on Sunday night - police believe he suffered a medical episode prior to the crash.

Meanwhile, Blake Mins and Matt Lambert died in a firey crash at Morisset on Saturday morning.

And a woman in her 70's suffered serious injuries after she was hit by a car on Turton Road at Waratah yesterday.

Across the state, the NSW Police Force's Operation Slow Down booked just over 6,200 people for speeding and charged 215 people with drink driving. More than 188,300 were breathalysed.

14,429 people in total were issued with infringements and five people died over the long weekend.

During the same operation last year, only one person lost their life.

Acting Assistant Commissioner David Driver from Traffic and Highway Patrol said even with the extra police presence out on the roads, it was quite disheartening to see drivers continue to speed or act dangerously behind the wheel.

"These deaths bring the number of lives lost on our roads this year to 290. That is 290 people who set out on a journey and didn't make it home, changing the lives of their family and friends forever."