A disqualified motorcyclist has allegedly been caught travelling at more than four times the speed limit in Sydney, as high-range speeding offences spike on the state's quieter than usual roads.
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Police allege the 23-year-old rider reached speeds of up to 247km/h in 60 km zones late on Saturday night before he was arrested at Greenacre, in Sydney's southwest, after being monitored by helicopter.
Officers in nearby Wiley Park had earlier attempted to stop the rider who was allegedly carrying a passenger on a motorcycle with its rear number plate obscured.
Police on Friday claimed he sped away at more than 160km/h, with the motorcycle later seen doing wheel stands before riding off at more than 200km/h.
When the 23-year-old was arrested, the bike had been dumped in the yard of a nearby home.
Police Minister David Elliott says he was "in disbelief" when told of the allegations.
"This is absolutely moronic behaviour at a time when our emergency services workers are focused on the fight against the pandemic," Mr Elliott said in a statement on Friday.
"It was only last week we saw the tragic loss of four officers in Victoria who were simply doing their jobs to protect the community."
The man has been charged with several offences including driving while disqualified, driving recklessly or in a dangerous manner and having an obscured number plate.
He's been refused bail ahead of a scheduled appearance at Bankstown Local Court next week.
The incident comes as police observe a spike in high-end speeding offences this year during a significant drop in traffic on NSW roads due to bushfires and COVID-19.
Between mid-March and late-April, the number of motorists clocked travelling at more than 45km/h over the speed limit rose to 425, compared to 307 and 303 offences during the same period in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
In some good news, fatal and injury crashes and drink-driving detections halved during the same period compared with previous years.
However, the number of drink drivers detected in the high range has climbed to 21 per cent from an average of 15 per cent.
Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy says the statistics show some motorists had little regard for their own safety and lives of others.
"While the year-to-date road toll is 25 fewer than last year at 109, we need to remember that is still 109 people whose families, friends and workmates have had to suffer the loss of a loved one unnecessarily," Mr Corboy said in a statement.
"The challenge is now on for everyone to do their part to keep the road toll down."
Australian Associated Press
