Updated – Monday, 5pm: The man accused of sitting in the passenger seat of moving a ute while his dog sat behind the steering wheel has been stripped of his drivers licence.
Police have charged the man with driving while over the legal alcohol limit and he has lost his licence for 24 months. He will front court in May.
Family of the accused posted footage of the man and his dog resting on a couch at a property near White Beach this afternoon, alongside a re-post of the initial Pulse Tasmania story from this morning.
“Who wants to meet the famous uncle … and the dog,” a person said in the video, to which the accused responded with “I’m having a beer”.
Earlier: Police are investigating reports of a dog allegedly driving a ute on a Tasmanian beach over the weekend.
Witnesses spotted a white Mitsubishi Triton being driven along White Beach at Nubeena around 9:30am on Saturday.
They observed that a dog appeared to be in the driver’s seat while a man sat in the passenger seat.
Multiple reports about the vehicle were made to police, who later located the vehicle, the man and the dog at a nearby property.
“Witnesses reported that a white Mitsubishi Triton was being driven on the beach, with a dog in the driver’s seat and a man in the passenger seat,” a police spokesperson told Pulse.
Police have not yet disclosed whether charges will be laid or what laws may have been breached by the unusual driving arrangement.
Police are now calling for additional witnesses to come forward, particularly anyone who may have captured footage of the incident.
“[We] are keen to hear from further witnesses, including if anyone has vision or dashcam images,” the spokesperson said.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact police on 131444, Nubeena Police Station on 61188010, or provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.
People with information should quote ESCAD number 000385-24012026.
