Crusher's last stand

Judith "Crusher" Collins is about to hand over the portfolio of Police Minister to Anne Tolley. But she may have one last triumph to celebrate; the Herald reports:

A Milton teenager caught doing donuts will be the first in the country to have his car crushed under new boy-racer legislation.

Eighteen-year-old Karn Clarrie Forrest, of Milton, appeared before Judge Stephen O'Driscoll in the Balclutha District Court, sitting in Gore, today on two driving charges.

Forrest was charged with driving while disqualified and driving a vehicle with a sustained loss of traction on State Highway 1 north of Milton on September 29.

At 11.40pm, Forrest was at the intersection of Narrowdale Rd and SH1, Forrest accelerated hard causing the vehicle to sustain a loss of traction. He then spun the wheels of the vehicle causing it to spin around in a circle, twice, before driving off along Limeworks Rd, Milburn.

Police followed Forrest and stopped him back on SH1 at Milton. He admitted being a disqualified driver and causing a sustained loss of traction.

Prosecutor Sergeant Penny Stratford noted as it was Forrest's third conviction for driving with a sustained loss of traction and under section 129A of the Sentencing Act - which was amended two years ago - his car could be confiscated and destroyed.

The Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act and the Sentencing (Vehicle Confiscation) Amendment Act - legislation specifically targeting street racers - came into force in December 2009.

The laws empower police to charge drivers and impound their vehicles for an "unnecessary exhibition of speed" or "sustained loss of traction", allowing vehicles to be seized and destroyed if a driver commits street-racing offences three times.

Representing himself, Forrest said he had since sold the 1982 Toyota Corolla.

Sgt Stratford said the vehicle registration remained in his name.

Judge O'Driscoll said he believed Forrest was likely to be the first in New Zealand to have his vehicle destroyed under the legislation. He ordered the Toyota with the registration number KS6755 to be confiscated and destroyed under the Sentencing Act.

To those who said that it couldn't be done or that it would never happen; just listen to the sound of graunching as the Toyota becomes a cube of metal. Crusher may no longer be the Police Minister, but the legislation that gave her the nickname will endure, and will be her legacy.