Good God! Driver’s outrageous excuse for driving with NINE unrestrained children in his van
- A driver has been charged after police found 10 unrestrained passengers in car
- Driver gave officers excuse they were late for church after stopped on Saturday
- The 45-year-old man from St Clair was charged with 10 offences over incident
A driver has been caught behind the wheel with nine unrestrained children piled into his van – including a newborn baby.
The van was stopped by officers from the NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Command on Saturday morning near Penrith, west of Sydney.
Although there were only eight seats in the van, officers found there were 10 passengers in the car plus the driver – who was the only person wearing a seatbelt.
Officers noted there was a 34-year-old passenger in the front seat not wearing a seatbelt.
When questioned as to why there were so many people in the van and why they were not properly secured, the driver gave the excuse it was because they were ‘running late for church.’
A driver has been caught behind the wheel with 10 unrestrained passengers piled into his van – including a newborn baby
In the middle row there was a child, aged five, who was unrestrained in a booster seat that was also not anchored to the van.
An unsecured 11-year-old was seen holding a one-month-old baby.
A 12-year-old was also in the middle row not wearing a seatbelt and holding a toddler in her arms.
A seven-year-old was sitting in the footwell.
In the back row of seats in the van, there was a four-year-old unrestrained in a booster seat.
There was also a three-year old in an unanchored booster seat and a six-year-old not wearing a seatbelt.
The driver, a 45-year-old St Clair man, will face Penrith Local Court on Thursday charged with 10 offences including driving with unrestrained passengers
‘I hope the driver loses their licence and cops a massive fine. That is ridiculous and so dangerous!’ one person said in response to a post about the incident.
Police urged drivers to ensure all passengers are restrained before they drive and to never exceed the intended seating capacity.
The driver, a 45-year-old St Clair man, will face Penrith Local Court on Thursday charged with 10 offences including driving with unrestrained passengers.
A child at risk notification has also been made by police over the incident.