Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/22/2289.asp

3/25/2008

Australia: Police Celebrate Seizure of Aston Martin
Police in Western Australia are celebrating the seizure of an Aston Martin coupe.

Police running a speed trap in Western Australia around noon Monday hit the jackpot. A traffic policeman claimed his laser speed gun registered 105 MPH as an Aston Martin coupe passed by in a 62 MPH speed limit zone, according to a celebratory press release issued by the force. That was enough for police to grab the high-performance vehicle away from millionaire heiress Rhonda N. Wyllie, 52, who had been behind the wheel.

Under laws that took effect March 1, Wyllie faces a reckless driving charge, a $1000 fine, seven driver's license demerit points and the towing and storage fees while police hold her car for 48 hours. Police will be waiting for the chance to seize Wyllie's car once again. State parliament expects later this year to revise the "hoon laws" to allow for longer seizure periods and to make it easier for police to confiscate private property permanently for their own use. Aston Martins in Australia are priced from A$250,000.

When used at extreme range, an unsteady hand on a laser speed gun can create "tracking errors" which causes the speed listed on the gun to read high. BBC News, ITV and the Daily Mail newspaper in the UK have each documented the phenomenon.