Perth hoons risk lives in wet weather

as posted on PerthNow

Jon Bassett
September 13, 2008 08:00am

A 22-YEAR-OLD driver who had his car for less than 18 hours after a hoon seizure had it confiscated a second time overnight for allegedly doing burnouts in Rockingham.

The Holden Commodore ute with two passengers was one of 10 high-powered vehicles seized in a hoon haul overnight - and two were taken for a second time by police.

Most the cars were driven by teenagers in wet conditions.

The drivers have been charged with reckless driving and first offenders will lose their cars for a week.

Inspector Maria Coyne said the hoons were doing burnouts and included a 17-year-old P-plater in Beldon who was driving recklessly in the rain about 4am.

"If you put the rain and driving behaviour together it's a miracle no one was killed,'' Insp Coyne said.

At 7pm last night, a 19-year-old man had his Ford Falcon XR6 seized for travelling at 139km/h in a 90km/h zone in the Pinjarra area, south of Perth.

A 17-year-old male P-plater was caught doing burnouts on Spencer Rd, Thornlie about 8pm.

A 23-year-old woman had her XR6 taken, and 31-year-old man's ute was seized for a second time when the pair allegedly raced along the west end of Hay St, Perth, about 9.30pm.

In the next two hours police, confiscated four other cars driven by male teenagers - one a P-plater - for reckless driving at the Kingsway Shopping Centre, the others in Kwinana, Greenwood and Mandurah.

The teenagers were driving Holden Commodores, a Commodore ute and a Holden Rodeo ute.

At 1am, a 17-year-old Margaret River P-plater had his Ford Falcon confiscated for doing "doughnuts".

How long police keep the vehicles seized for a second time depends if the initial confiscations were before new anti-hoon laws were introduced, it is understood.

as posted on PerthNow