Sun, Mar 26, 2006 - Page 1 News List

Man slapped with fine in armless driving shocker

HANDS-FREE Police in New Zealand pulled over a man who was speeding, only to find that he had no arms and was driving with his two feet instead

AP , WELLINGTON

A New Zealand police officer got a shock when he stopped a driver doing 121kph on the east coast of the country's North Island -- the man had no arms, a local newspaper said.

Instead, the speedster was using one foot to steer the car and the other to operate the pedals, the Bay of Plenty Times said on Friday, quoting the officer.

The unemployed 32-year-old told the policeman he had been born without arms and had never held a driver's license, the paper said.

The driver, whose name was not published, was given a NZ$170 (US$105) on-the-spot fine for speeding and banned from driving. Police are considering charging him with dangerous driving, the report said.

Acting Senior Sergeant Deirdre Lackfor, of the region's transport police unit, said she had "absolutely no sympathy" for the speeding driver.

"Obviously driving at a speed like that, arms or not, you're just waiting for an accident," the paper quoted her as saying.

"You're asking for an accident at 120kph, whether you've got arms or not. Look at the risk he was posing," she added.

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