A man who was snapped travelling at 43kmh above the speed limit was racing his wife to hospital because she was having a baby, a court heard yesterday.
Constable Chris Rigby yesterday said while the driver of the car, Duncan Stalker, had admitted speeding, he wanted to make submissions as to why he was speeding.
Addressing justices of the peace Craig Rodgers and Sharon Ayto in the Invercargill District Court yesterday, Stalker said his pregnant wife was in the car having a baby at the time.
"So I tried to get to the hospital as quick as I could, hence my excess speed."
Const Rigby said while he was sympathetic to the man’s situation, he was also mindful that the speed at which he was travelling might have caused further harm.
"Thankfully, no-one was injured but there was high potential for harm to be done."
Stalker said he did not normally speed and had there been any identifiable hazards or danger he would have slowed down.
"It was a clear run and I took it."
Mr Rodgers said he could see the situation from both perspectives. He fined Stalker $250 and ordered him to pay court costs of $30.
