A Queensland motorist who didn’t listen to the old saying of “if it’s flooded, forget it” is now $800 poorer and halfway towards losing their licence.
In a media statement, Queensland Police said a 41-year-old man from Winton – located in the state’s mid-north – was witnessed driving through flood waters in Corfield, having passed two road closure signs and a barrier blocking the road to do so.
The man was able to drive through the flood waters in his Toyota HiLux without any harm, but was met with police officers in a LandCruiser on the other side who subsequently charged him.
A $619 fine was issued for careless driving, while an additional $185 was tacked on for disobeying the road access signs – bringing the total up to $804, plus six demerit points.
“You don’t know what kind of debris or objects could be lurking just under the surface,” Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said in a media statement.
“There is also a very good chance that the road’s structure has been undermined.
“It’s not worth risking your life or the lives of emergency services who come to rescue you.”
The 2022 Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report found vehicles being driven into flood waters is the leading cause of drowning, which was attributed to motorists becoming trapped in their cars when washed away from the road surface.
MORE: Is it illegal to drive in floodwaters or flooded roads?
