A Vanuatu man’s visa status is under review after he allegedly stole his employer’s car and left it on train tracks in south western NSW.
The 23-year-old allegedly consumed a “large amount” of intoxicating liquor at his Merungle Hill home in the Riverina.
The unlicensed man then allegedly took his employer’s Hyundai Tucson for a spin about 10pm on Saturday and failed to navigate a T-intersection on Mckay Street and Regulator Road before driving onto a grassed area.
He cleared a gully, bouncing along the grass for about 60 metres, before hitting the bottom of the rock bed holding the railway tracks.
This launched him over the tracks and he landed 10 metres away from the train tracks, but he then allegedly reversed the car back onto them and became stuck.
The man then allegedly left the vehicle blocking the tracks and returned home.
About 8.20am the next morning, an XPLORER train capable of speeds of up to 140 km/h, was travelling to Sydney when the train driver spotted the Hyundai in the middle of the tracks.
A safe stop was performed and no staff or passengers were injured as a result.
A local farmer later helped police by using his tractor to pull the car from the tracks, so the train could continue its journey.
NSW Traffic and Highway Patrol said officers later attended the Vanuatu man’s home and he made “full admissions” to police.
He has since been charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, never licensed person drive vehicle on road, negligent driving and cause obstruction to railway locomotive.
He will face Leeton Local Court at a later date and his visa status is now under review.