Pushing his luck.

 


Dangling passenger cheated death in motorcycle chase
By MICHELLE DUFF - Manawatu Standard | Thursday, 02 October 2008


A daredevil motorcyclist who reached speeds of 120kmh on a wild police
chase through inner-city Palmerston North left his female passenger
dangling centimetres from death.

Dion Hayden Ross, a 24-year-old cabinet maker, appeared in Palmerston
North District Court yesterday on a reckless driving charge after the
high-speed incident on September 25.

Last Thursday, about 8.10pm, Ross was spotted riding a Honda motorcycle
down Albert Street with a female passenger, the court was told.

But when a police car indicated for him to stop, Ross hit the gas,
accelerating toward town and narrowly avoiding a collision as he swung
on to Featherston Street.

Ross reached speeds of up to 120kmh before weaving into Ward Street and
cutting a corner into Victoria Avenue.

He approached Broadway Avenue at 80kmh, hitting a roundabout and
swerving erratically.

As he wrestled with the bike in an "out-of-control speed wobble", the
female on the back lost her grip, slipping from her seat.

She lay hanging across the bike, arms and legs flailing, as Ross muscled
the bike back onto the road.

He then raced down Victoria Avenue, reaching 120kmh again as he wove
past motorists.

Cars were forced to brake heavily as Ross sped through Give Way signs,
screaming straight through the Te Awe Awe Street intersection into
Caccia Birch Lane.

Here he went off-road, bumping along a narrow foot track before pushing
the motorbike down a bank into Centennial Lagoon and attempting to
escape on foot.

The fate of the woman was not mentioned in court.

Ross's counsel, Steve DeVorms, said ex-motocross rider Ross discounted
some aspects of the police summary as "exaggerated".

"At the time he felt like he was in control - he's been riding bikes
since he was 8 years old."

But Ross did accept his actions were stupid and risky, was glad no- one
was hurt, and could not explain why he bolted at the sight of the police
car, Mr DeVorms said.

Judge Peter Butler said the condemnable driving offence was among the
worst he had seen.

A lack of regard for others' safety was an aggravating factor.

Ross was sentenced to 200 hours community work, with 12 months loss of
licence. For failing to stop he was convicted and discharged.