General News
15 November, 2024
Hoons causing havoc on streets
Hoons are causing trouble across Warracknabeal, disrupting people's sleep and tearing up tyres all over town, according to one concerned resident.
It's happening every night, most times from 11pm to daylight, and the resident, who requested to be anonymous for fear of their safety, is worried it's only a matter of time before these drivers injure, or even worse, kill themselves or another person.
To demonstrate their concern and frustration, the resident, Alex*, supplied photos captured one morning recently at the corner of Fensomes and Rainbow roads showing black marks and rubber clearly visible in the aftermath.
"This behaviour has been going on for the last couple of years but it seems to have become worse over the last six months," Alex said.
"Every night of the week you can hear the cars doing burnouts and you only need to look at every intersection or go out Fensomes Road.
"On my street, they absolutely fly down there, doing well over 100km/h, not giving way - the limit is 50km/h."
And because the local police station isn't manned 24/7, Alex said these people knew they could "basically do what they want after 11 at night".
"They're going to end up going through a house - you can already see where they've spun out - or go through an intersection, not stopping, and hit a truck," Alex said.
"It's only a matter of time."
Alex said he feared these people thought they were invincible and didn't want to see them killed or hurt.
He also said he hated the thought of an innocent local facing the consequences of their driving.
"There are people walking at that time, given they are going from 11pm to daylight, and sometimes they will go out in a car, it'll break down and they will be back in another, and half of them aren't registered," Alex said.
Around home, Alex said the hooning was causing concern for his children's safety and problems with sleep.
"My kids ride their bikes out the front, and while these people aren't necessarily doing burnouts during the day, they are flying around, full speed," Alex said.
"One night recently one of them was doing in excess of 120km/h, waking up my kids who were sleeping."
Alex recently found a car abandoned on a street which he suspected had been participating in the burnouts and hooning.
"It was full of tyres in the back and there was even a rattle gun in the front seat so they could change the tyres," he said.
Almost making a mockery of police, photographs of burnouts outside the police station have been shown to The Herald, with the alleged offenders having waited until the officers were off duty before beginning the unruliness.
When approached about the matter, Acting Sergeant Lauren Cole from Warracknabeal Police Station issued this statement:
"Warracknabeal Police are aware of the issue of burnouts and hoon driving in the Warracknabeal area.
"We understand the community concern and we are actively patrolling in known burnout areas as much as possible.
"It can be a difficult thing to police as we are relying on being in the right place at the right time, so we urge anyone with information to contact the Warracknabeal police or report the information to Crime Stoppers."
Warracknabeal Police can be contacted on 5396 2100 and reports can be made to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Alternatively, reports can be submitted confidentially online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
* Not their actual name.