Operation Knievel
 

Police nab 220km/h motorcycle daredevil
February 17, 2004

AN elusive daredevil whose motorcycle was clocked repeatedly at up to 220km/h in the Sydney Harbour Tunnel has finally been nabbed by police.

Operation Knievel was set up to catch the biker, who over several weeks allegedly rode at speeds of between 159km/h and 220km/h in the 80km/h tunnel. He was always clocked on weekdays between 4.30am and 5.40am (AEDT).

The speedster was detected originally by stationary cameras in the tunnel but proved difficult to identify because he obscured his number plates, said police, who named their operation after the US motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel.

A concerted effort to apprehend him was mounted yesterday, with police officers waiting at the tunnel's entrance and exit and on the Warringah Freeway.

However, the Evel Knievel wannabe still eluded them, taking police on a 5am pursuit at alleged speeds of more than 200km/h at the tunnel's exit and then on the Warringah Freeway.

The chase was terminated because of safety concerns.

But the numbers on the motorcycle's licence plate eventually proved the daredevil's undoing.

Officers saw some of the numbers, and investigations led to a 31-year-old Cronulla man who worked at Lane Cove.

Police arrested him and seized his motorcycle.

He was charged with five counts of speeding, speeding in a dangerous manner, failing to stop and five counts of obscuring a number plate. Police said they expected to lay further charges.

He will appear at Hornsby Local Court on March 9.

Ha! Cool story.

I know a Police Officer who was photographed travelling at 174kmh (107mph) in an 80kmh (48mph) limited tunnel here in Melbourne. He was asked to explain himself to the brass.

He was actually driving a pursuit car and was responding to an extreme emergency call with full "lights & bells". :cool: