General News
20 October, 2022
Idiots by night and day
POLICE are investigating whether to make a driver pay for the cost of his rescue at Newbridge last Friday morning. The Wimmera Highway operation saw members of the specialist swift water rescue response team based in Bendigo since the previous day...
POLICE are investigating whether to make a driver pay for the cost of his rescue at Newbridge last Friday morning.
The Wimmera Highway operation saw members of the specialist swift water rescue response team based in Bendigo since the previous day and the air wing hovering overhead.
Witnesses said police had told the driver not to ignore “road closed” at the Tarnagulla end of the Loddon River bridge.
Police were called away from the roadblock to another call and the driver rebuffed pleas from locals.
“People were yelling at him (the driver) not to go over the bridge,” said local publican Matthew Mizzi.
Tarnagulla’s Leading Senior Constable Denis Farrell said: “These were reckless endeavours and put rescuers at risk by the driver’s stupidity.”
“We are investigating ways to redeem costs of the rescue.”
Witnesses said the man was able to cling to a pine tree at the town’s recreation reserve as the vehicle was swept away by the rapid-flowing river.
Receding water on Saturday revealed the Landcruiser with South Australian registration plates near the football ground scoreboard, more than 400 metres from the road.
And 12 hours later, about 10pm police were called to a second rescue involving the air wing on the same Wimmera Highway bend.
A new $100,000 Ford Raptor, displaying a P plate and with - Hungry Jack drink cap still sitting on the seat, was spun around in floodwaters and stopped beside trees lining the entrance to town.
State Emergency Service volunteers, who assisted with the Newbridge rescues, have been involved in multiple incidents including the driver of a mini-bus stranded on the Loddon Valley Highway near Serpentine on Saturday.
Between Wednesday and Sunday, the SES had been called to more than 500 flood rescues across Victoria.