Driver loses licence after clocking 184kmh

CHRISTCHURCH - A 20-year-old Christchurch car groomer today lost his driving licence for six months after a speed camera caught him speeding at 184kmh.

Jeremy Graeme Collins blasted along the Castle Hill straight on the Arthur's Pass highway early on Good Friday.

Police said it was one of the highest speeds recorded by a speed camera in New Zealand, and Senior Sergeant Neville Hyland of the Highway Patrol described driving at such a speed as "stupid beyond belief".

Collins today pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court to a charge of driving at a speed that might have been dangerous. He also admitted possession of 2.4g of cannabis and a pipe for smoking it, items found by police when his car was also stopped by police last week because of his manner of driving.

He was fined $500 and disqualified for six months for speeding, and fined $250 on the cannabis charges.

- NZPA