When will people learn

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

Driving pissed, 150 in a 60 zone is . stupid and deadly..

Its not as though its 'NEW" and nobody knows how . it is.

Quote:

Southbank crash driver 'drunk and speeding'
Mex Cooper, Marika Dobbin and Larissa Ham
October 1, 2008 - 5:18PM

The smashed car in City Road, Southbank. Photo: Penny Stephens

A teenage L-plater driver was drunk and driving at least 150km/h in a 60 zone when he spun out of control and crashed into two men outside a Southbank hotel this morning, killing one and seriously injuring the other, a court has heard.

Puneet Puneet, 19, an international student of Newport, sat with his head bowed in Melbourne Magistrates Court this afternoon where he appeared on a charge of culpable driving.

- Dead student 'absolute champion'
- Man charged
- Tragedy for university games

He was arrested this morning after a horror smash that killed Dean Byron Hofstee, 19, Burleigh Heads, Queensland, who was in Melbourne for the Australian University Games.

The dead man and his friend Clancy Coker, 20, were struck outside the Mantra Southbank hotel's front doors in City Road about 1am today.

Both victims are believed to be students at the Gold Coast campus of Griffith University.

A passenger in the crash car, a 23-year-old man, was trapped for about 20 minutes with serious injuries, including to his leg, and was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital.

Prosecutor Caroline Boult told the court preliminary police reconstructions showed Puneet was driving "in excess of 150km/h in a 60km/h zone" and a preliminary breathtest showed a reading of 0.165.

The court heard Puneet had been in Australia for 18 months on a student visa and had no family here. His nationality was not revealed.

Magistrate Duncan Reynolds granted bail to Puneet, who has no prior convictions, and ordered him to surrender his passport, not to drive and to report to police five days a week. He must reappear in court on January 21.

Mr Coker remains in The Alfred hospital with head injuries, fractures to his leg and possible fractures to his pelvis. He is in a serious but stable condition and was expected to undergo surgery today.

A passenger in the car was also taken to hospital with a leg injury.

A close friend of Mr Hofstee described his friend an "absolute champion" studying for a nursing degree.

"I've known him for a couple of years and if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be in nursing, and now that he's gone I don't know how I am going to survive," he said.

"If you ever needed anything you'd just go straight to him and he would help you out.

"When I first got there (to university), being nursing, there was about 170 girls and I didn't know anybody and he was the first person I went to, and since that first day we've been best mates. It's just tragic."

In a post on the student's Facebook page, a fellow student left a tribute to his friend.

"The world has lost a really top bloke today, and a lot of people are in shock ... God's speed Bro," the post said.

Mr Hofstee's friend said the nursing student was also close to his own family and worked at an aged care home caring for his grandmother.

"He just always looked out for me, he just had such a helping personality, there's a lot of upset people. I don't know how we are going to go back to nursing on Monday," he said.

Team mates and Games staff are said to be in shock.

Intensive care paramedic Paul Golz said an ambulance crew arrived within eight minutes to find one man dead and his friend with head injuries, fractures to his leg, and possible fractures to his pelvis.

"A neck brace was fitted given the potential for spinal injuries,'' he said. "A drip was put in his arm, and he was given pain relief, and fluids to help stabilise his condition. He was transported to The Alfred hospital in a serious condition.''

"There was extensive damage to the passenger side of the car, which was pushed in about 40 centimetres,'' Mr Golz said.

"We were concerned about the potential for internal injuries (to the passenger), a drip was put in the man's arm, and he was given fluids to stabilise his condition.''

University Games chief executive Don Knapp said crisis counselling would be offered to student athletes and staff.

"This is a very difficult situation for everyone and we have organised counselling and will cope the best we can," Mr Knapp said.

"One student has tragically been killed and another is in hospital ... this is the classic definition of a tragedy and we are absolutely devastated, as is Griffith University."

The university's delegation in Melbourne is understood to be conducting a crisis meeting this morning and is expected to make an announcement shortly on whether they will continue competing.

"It's a tragedy that has affected two fine young kids and we are saddened by the loss," Mr Knapp said.

A spokeswoman from Griffith University would not comment until Victoria Police confirmed the deceased man's family had been informed.

with Scott Casey, Shannon Molloy, AAP.

Joined: 25 May 2008 Location: Maitland, NSW

sad really, happens all to often.

Joined: 14 Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne

I find it absolutely stagering that someone can do something so careless and selfish as to drive a car over 150km/h pissed down city road, kill someone, seriously mame another and they are released on bail and not remanded in custody?

Joined: 03 Apr 2003 Location: Wollongong

Similar happened just last week locally. 4 blokes in a car, 180 in a 70 zone. Car spun out, hit a pole then hit a gas main and went up in flames. 3 of them were killed and one seriously injured.

Very sad to see how many people have been affected by it. Unfortunately it happens too often

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

T_Diesel wrote:

I find it absolutely stagering that someone can do something so careless and selfish as to drive a car over 150km/h pissed down city road, kill someone, seriously mame another and they are released on bail and not remanded in custody?

amazing aint it!

Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Location: Townsville/Middle Swan WA

he should have taken himself out ... don't need that moron in the gene pool

and a Take 5 would have prevented that

bit of humour for the miners The Finger

Joined: 25 Nov 2002 Location: Golden Square

My mate was the OIC from the MFB. Will find out the gos when he drops in this arvo.

Joined: 10 Jun 2008 Location: brisbane

Quote:

he should have taken himself out ... don't need that moron in the gene pool

and a Take 5 would have prevented that

i know where your coming from #Rofl

Joined: 19 Sep 2007 Location: liverpool shire LOL

typical holden driver Rolling Eyes

*puts Flame suit on*

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:39 am

Latest excuses.. "My eyes were closed cos they hurt... Then when I opened them a cat scared me..."

Lock him up.

Joined: 29 Nov 2004 Location: Townsville

. kill the punjab

Joined: 28 Nov 2002 Location: Melbourne

Can't believe he's blaming a cat. Who the fark swerves for a cat? Very Happy

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

Ben wrote:

Can't believe he's blaming a cat. Who the fark swerves for a cat? Very Happy

AND sore eyes... Shocked

<-- that style

I nearly ran off the eastlink today choking I was laughin that hard at that defence.

Yea, the cat was on the road, so I got her up to 150 n wheeled her round and cause my eyes were sore, I hit the kerb, tree, 2 signs, took out 2 dudes, and fawkt my passenger...

thank you.... come again.

Joined: 11 May 2004 Location: Armidale

built2redline wrote:

typical holden driver Rolling Eyes

*puts Flame suit on*

HMMMMMMMMMMMM Wink

Knobs drive all kinds of cars..

Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Location: Bribie Island

Any person found guilty of a crime , not in possesion of australian citizenship should maybe be sent packing? just a thought....

Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Location: Brisbane

Ben wrote:

Can't believe he's blaming a cat. Who the fark swerves for a cat? Very Happy

Swerving for the cat maybe?

Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia

bogged wrote:

Ben wrote:

Can't believe he's blaming a cat. Who the fark swerves for a cat? Very Happy

AND sore eyes... Shocked

<-- that style

I nearly ran off the eastlink today choking I was laughin that hard at that defence.

Yea, the cat was on the road, so I got her up to 150 n wheeled her round and cause my eyes were sore, I hit the kerb, tree, 2 signs, took out 2 dudes, and fawkt my passenger...

thank you.... come again.

Weren't u gonna be using chingvale rd??? Have u converted to the darkside?!?!
Shocked

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

lolergram wrote:

Weren't u gonna be using chingvale rd??? Have u converted to the darkside?!?!
Shocked

Eastlink I can get to work in just on 30mins. Sometimes under that.

Tried monash/springvale again last week - 1.5 hours which apparently was a clear day for traffic

for some reason since the eastlink opened, monash traffic has nearly doubled...

Joined: 03 Sep 2006 Location: where ever the track takes me

umm didn't want to kill the cat?????????? so what doing 150 kmh on a city street had nothing to do with accident?? or the fact he was p!ssed whilst doing it??
So his rational was to save the life of the cat and so swerved, a car at 150 kmh and killed inocent people instead, great thinking genius!

Joined: 22 Nov 2002 Location: Townsville/Middle Swan WA

maybe he swerved to hit the cat ....

no excused to be doin 150 on city streets

Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Location: Adelaide

muddydigger wrote:

great thinking genius!

At .165 thinking didn't enter into it. Closed his eyes at 150km/h because he was tired? It was all over before he started thinking about it.

He's farked a number of lives, but he's the only one who deserved it.

Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia

bogged wrote:

lolergram wrote:

Weren't u gonna be using chingvale rd??? Have u converted to the darkside?!?!
Shocked

Eastlink I can get to work in just on 30mins. Sometimes under that.

Tried monash/springvale again last week - 1.5 hours which apparently was a clear day for traffic

for some reason since the eastlink opened, monash traffic has nearly doubled...

Fair enough!! Don't blame ya then Wink

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

lolergram wrote:

bogged wrote:

lolergram wrote:

Weren't u gonna be using chingvale rd??? Have u converted to the darkside?!?!
Shocked

Eastlink I can get to work in just on 30mins. Sometimes under that.

Tried monash/springvale again last week - 1.5 hours which apparently was a clear day for traffic

for some reason since the eastlink opened, monash traffic has nearly doubled...

Fair enough!! Don't blame ya then Wink

must admit havent tried franga freeway, vietnavale, westall, blackburn rd's since.

Joined: 03 Jan 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia

Westall/blackburn doesn't seem too bad, but the jump from princess hwy onto blackburn is still as it was from memory... lol

That's just during the day off peak. Seem to be getting a few jobs down chingvale/noble park lately...

Sorry about the hi-jack