Melbourne man mocked after cops make shocking find in engine
Police officers say they found numerous safety issues with the vehicle, but one item in particular had social media users cracking up.
A Melbourne motorist has been heavily mocked online after police revealed they found something very unusual in his car engine during a routine traffic stop.
Officers from Riverina Highway Patrol stopped the silver Toyota Camry on Monday after numerous community members contacted police to report a vehicle with covered number plates travelling on Hume Highway near Canberra, NSW Police said.
After stopping the car, officers discovered it was being driven by a 54-year-old man from Victoria.
“An inspection of the vehicle found that a device was installed over the number plate which would cover the number plate when activated,” the force's highway command posted on Facebook on Tuesday.
“A further inspection found numerous safety issues with the vehicle, including a severely frayed seatbelt and a vice clamp holding the exhaust in place.”
The driver was issued a penalty notice for an obscured number plate which, when issued as a traffic infringement notice, carries a fine of $723 and a loss of three demerit points, NSW Police told Yahoo News Australia. The driver was also given a defect notice for the “issues identified”.
Social media users mock driver
The Facebook post was accompanied by several images showing a black covering on the Camry’s front and rear license plates, a frayed seatbelt and the clamp hidden in the engine, which sent social media users into a frenzy.
“This is a tragedy waiting to happen,” one person said, with another deeming the car a “death trap”.
“What in the redneck-ery is going on here!” someone else joked.
“Ok the clamps got me, that's a new one,” one person commented, with another stating the driver may “as well have painted a target on his vehicle”.
One Facebook user posited that the number plate covers were supposed to be activated when a car is parked to avoid theft, but numerous others disagreed.
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