THE OWNER of a brand-new Nissan Patrol ute has found himself on the market for a vehicle once more, after writing off the vehicle on the Black Spur over the weekend.
Healesville police Leading Senior Constable Chris Hickey said an Alexandra man was on his way towards home along the Black Spur near Fernshaw late on Friday 28 August when he “went off” the side of the spur.
Though Leading Sen Const Hickey said he believed the driver was not injured, his wallet might have been – the car, which was picked up earlier in the day in Ferntree Gully, was written-off in the crash.
“It was brand new – and it’s buggered,” he said.
Adding insult to injury, the Maroondah Highway between Fernshaw and the Dom Dom Saddle Car Park was closed for an hour and a half on Saturday morning while heavy haulage retrieved the wrecked car.
The Alexandra man was the second to write-off a car on the stretch of road – on Thursday 27 August, a van full of French students rolled on the highway leading up to the spur, after hitting an embankment.
Cigarette thieves at large
POLICE are investigating a burglary at Coldstream’s IGA supermarket last week, and have called for any potential witnesses to come forward.
Overnight between Thursday 27 August and Friday 28 August, unknown people forced entry to the supermarket located on Maroondah Highway in Coldstream.
The thieves made off with a “quantity” of cigarettes, according to Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) Detective Sergeant, Pat Barrow.
Det Sgt Barrow said it was too early to speculate on whether the break-in was related to numerous cigarette-related burglaries that have occurred through the Yarra Ranges in recent months.
Anyone who saw any suspicious behaviour in the area is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Teens safe after all-night search
THREE teenage boys were rescued from the bush near Upper Yarra Reservoir in Reefton on Sunday, after an all-night search involving more than 100 volunteers.
Two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old, who were in the area with Kilsyth Football Club’s Under-14s team, were separated from their group returning from a walk up a hill at 2pm on Saturday, 29 August.
Warburton Police Acting Sergeant, Don Trice, said the “warning flags” were put up at 5.45pm, and that 70 CFA and 30 SES volunteers came out to assist with the search for the boys.
Sgt Trice said the searchers heard the boys’ voices during the night, and found them unharmed on Sunday morning after resuming the search.
“(They had) come out on a track – they’d walked out from the bush through a gully and across a creek,” he said.
“It was some distance.”
Victoria Police posted on Facebook on Sunday that the boys were taken to Maroondah Hospital for observation, but that they ‘appeared well’.
Sgt Trice praised the “well-organised” search, which was overseen by Lilydale Police, and the determination of the volunteers who gave their time to recover the boys.
“It’s fantastic what they (VIC SES) do, and the CFA,” he said.
“We take it for granted that they roll out rain, hail or shine, but they do a great job.”
Arrested for car theft and passing fake notes
A WOORI Yallock man is expected to face court after being caught driving a stolen car during a raid last week.
Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) Detective Sergeant, Pat Barrow, said that police executed search warrants at a Chirnside Park property on Wednesday 26 August.
Police arrested a 26-year-old Chirnside Park woman and a 22-year-old man from no fixed place of abode – both were charged with theft of a motor car and weapons offences.
The 22-year-old man was also charged with passing counterfeit money.
During the police raid, a 26-year-old Woori Yallock man was caught driving a stolen car, and was also arrested.
The Woori Yallock man was charged and remanded overnight, while the Chirnside Park woman was remanded in custody to appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on 9 September and the 22-year-old man was charged and bailed, and will appear at court in the near future.
Serial petrol thief hunted
A SERIAL petrol thief is being hunted by police, after four drive-offs in the Upper Yarra region late last month.
Yarra Ranges Crime Investigation Unit (CIU) Detective Sergeant, Pat Barrow said the first drive-off was on Monday, 17 August, at 5.50pm in Launching Place.
Det Sgt Barrow said the alleged thief, a Caucasian woman aged in her 20s to 30s with brown hair, drove off from a service station in a white Ford sedan without paying for petrol.
On Friday, 21 August, the same woman is believed to have driven off from a Woori Yallock service station without paying for petrol at 8.45am.
At 11.30am on Saturday, 22 August, the woman again drove away from Launching Place without paying for petrol.
Three days later, on Tuesday 25 August, the woman drove away from a Seville service station at 9am – again not paying for her petrol.
Det Sgt Barrow said police believed the same woman and the same car was involved in each drive-off.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to file a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
