• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Motorists hit 180km/h near Newcastle to conjure ghost

DougalLongfoot

DougalLongfoot

Abominable Snowman
Joined
Jul 26, 2005
Messages
626
IT could be one of the most bizarre reasons ever offered by a speeding driver - "A ghost made me do it''.

But that is exactly the story being put forward by superstitious motorists hitting speeds of up to 180km/h on a road north of Newcastle, supposedly to conjure a ghost.

Port Stephens police have issued a warning to drivers after it emerged that young people were driving at dangerously high speeds along a stretch of Lemon Tree Passage Rd to conjure the spirit of a 20-year-old motorcyclist killed in a crash with a speeding driver in the area three years ago.

A handful of videos have been posted on YouTube, allegedly showing a ghostly bright light appearing in the rear windscreen of cars that start driving at dangerous speeds.

Some locals are convinced the light is that of the motorcyclist's ghost, in pursuit of people who drive dangerously.

It might sound far-fetched but speeding to summon the ghost has become such a concern that police have issued a warning about the behaviour.

"It's alleged that if you drive at speed in a manner dangerous, a bright white light comes in behind you and that's what they are calling the Lemon Tree Passage ghost,'' a police spokeswoman said.

"There have been several phone calls that people are going out there and while attempting to get footage for YouTube these cars are travelling at excessive speed.''

The YouTube videos posted so far do show a bright light clearly visible, sometimes close to the car and other times in the far distance.

But the source of the light is unclear.

"We want speeding drivers to know that the only bright light they'll be seeing in their rear windows will be the red and blue lights of a police car,'' the police spokeswoman said.
Click to expand...

Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
 
Noooo, not with speed or distance all signs etc are in mph. Are they in km's in Australia? Personally I think its because 111mph doesn't sound as shocking today as it should whereas 180 kph sounds far worse as it makes you think of mph, as that's how we automatically think.
 
Isn't the bright white flash more likely to be the flash from a speed camera...
 
oldrover said:
Noooo, not with speed or distance all signs etc are in mph. Are they in km's in Australia?
Click to expand...

This IS a story from Australia and we are completely metric here - none of that Imperial nonsense.
 
This IS a story from Australia
Click to expand...

Sorry Zilch, I thought it was in northern England, can't really say why. :oops:

just realised it was the headline saying Newcastle.
 
oldrover said:
This IS a story from Australia
Click to expand...

Sorry Zilch, I thought it was in northern England, can't really say why. :oops:

just realised it was the headline saying Newcastle.
Click to expand...

I did think of putting "Newcastle (Australia)" in the heading, but ran out of room.
 
Mythopoeika said:
Isn't the bright white flash more likely to be the flash from a speed camera...
Click to expand...

I'd hope so, I'll have to check if there are fixed speed cameras on that road. NSW has only just reintroduced mobile speed cameras, so they would be far less likely.
 
oldrover said:
Sorry Zilch, I thought it was in northern England, can't really say why. :oops:

just realised it was the headline saying Newcastle.
Click to expand...

No worries - I love it when a thread goes off topic! :lol:

Now lets debate metrics versus imperial... :twisted:
 
Now lets debate metrics versus imperial...
Click to expand...
Trouble is I'm not sure which side to take, I'm a metric kind of a guy, at least until you get to over 30cm when I use feet, until over 3 feet when I use meters up until 100 or so when there's a conceptual gap until you get to half a mile.
 
No fixed speed cameras located on Lemon Tree Passage Rd. Looking at it on the map, I realise I have been on it, heading up to Tanilba Bay for a party once, back in 1995. It is quiet close to Williamtown RAAF base, which operates as Newcastle Airport as well, so you'd have a fair few military and commercial aircraft flying around.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top