Driver Nearly Six Times over Legal Limit Behind the Wheel in Muswellbrook

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A driver has been charged with high-range drink driving after he was found to be nearly six times over the legal alcohol limit.

Police say at about 6:45pm last night, officers responded to reports of a car swerving from side to side, and crossing over to the wrong side of the road in Muswellbrook.

A short time later, Traffic & Highway Patrol officers found a Ford Ranger utility on Denman Road with the driver allegedly asleep behind the wheel with the engine still running.

The 62-year-old  took a breath test returning a positive result and was taken to Muswellbrook Police Station where he returned a reading of 0.285.

The man was charged and had his licence suspended on the spot.

He faces Muswellbrook Local Court on December 18.

24 Hour Speed Blitz on Hunter Roads

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police will be out in force over the next 24 hours targeting speeding on the Hunter's roads.

Across the state speeding is the highest contributing factor to fatal crashes - around 40 per cent of fatal crashes are due to speeding.

In the last 12 months 386 lives have been lost on NSW roads and there have been several in the last month in the Hunter.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said the best way to save lives on our roads is for drivers to simply take responsibility and slow down.

'We're appealing to all road users, particularly in the lead up to the summer months and holiday periods to take personal responsibility for their road use, think of families, loved ones, and mostly importantly, other road users."

'Those that run the risk today r any other day will be penalised or put before the courts, all in the hope that we can change driver behaviour and save lives on NSW roads," said Acting Assistant Commissioner Smith.

The one day blitz will see all available police out and about targeting drivers who choose to speed.

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."