Hooning on High

Mansfield Police are urging the public to be vigilant and prioritise safety following a recent surge in reports of antisocial behaviour and dangerous driving. The reminder comes after several concerning incidents, including reckless driving and a dangerous prank involving a spiked drink. In a recent incident, police and paramedics responded to a crash involving a vehicle carrying some young locals. The collision occurred near Old Tonga Road on Saturday night July 26, resulting in hospital admissions with passengers treated for non life threatening injuries. Mansfield Police's Senior Sergeant Steve Carden was unable to comment on the exact nature of the incident as it is currently under investigation, however early indications suggest the collision may have been avoidable with the vehicle leaving the road, rolling and hitting a tree. Poor driver decisions and alcohol are being investigated as contributing factors, with the driver assisting police with their inquiries. Snr Sgt Carden emphasised the serious nature of the crash, noting the incident was a stark reminder for young, inexperienced drivers to think about the consequences of their actions before getting behind the wheel. "It wasn't a great outcome, but it could have been much worse," he said, urging young drivers to ensure they are compliant with the restrictions placed on provisional licences. Taking place over the same weekend, police are also investigating damage to road signage on High Street following multiple reports of a ute driving erratically in the build-up. The Senior Sergeant confirmed several witnesses had come forward and described the vehicle, with police actively investigating to identify the perpetrator who will then be held to account. "I hope the person responsible is now feeling some remorse for their actions, and I urge the person responsible to have the guts to come forward and face up to their poor decisions, prior to police identifying them and knocking on their door," he said. With the perpetrator also accused of doing donuts in the main street, Snr Sgt Carden condemned the behaviour. "Police find the misuse of motor vehicles in this manner extremely dangerous and completely unnecessary," he said. "It’s too late to change your decision to act in this way after you are on your way to hospital and your mate in the car has died as a result of your actions and decisions." The Senior Sergeant urged anyone with any information or footage to assist police in keeping the community safe and call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. In a separate and equally concerning incident, police are investigating a report of a spiked drink at a licensed venue on Mt Buller. A person who felt unwell and lightheaded after consuming a beverage was taken to Mansfield Hospital by ambulance. Further inquiries revealed another person in their group had intentionally added a substance to the drink, with the individual who committed the act informing police. Although the action was not believed to be malicious, Snr Sgt Carden confirmed it is a serious criminal offense to introduce a drug into another person's body. "The incident serves as a reminder for everyone to practice basic drink security which means never leave your drink unattended and never accept a drink from someone you don't know," he said. "Use a buddy system when out with friends, and look out for each other." Addressing the responsible serving of alcohol, last Friday Mansfield Police held their annual meeting with licensees from the shire and Mount Buller under the region's Liquor Accord. The collaboration promotes responsible alcohol service and consumption and ensures a safer environment for everyone in the community, with the initiative happening in several policing areas around the state. Locally the accord brings together around 77 local venues to work with police, with uptake strong in the shire. One of the group's tasks is to consider the banning of patrons for unsocial and aggressive behaviour. Venue owners and publicans go over incident reports and determine if the patron should be banned for a period of time from all licensed premises in the shire and on the mountain, with the ban also extending to packaged alcohol in bottle shops. Snr Sgt Carden was pleased to report that currently there are no names on the banned list, a significant improvement from earlier lists that had up to four or five names who were not permitted into licensed premises.

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