Up to 80 litres of used car oil was deliberately poured across a busy Launceston intersection on Saturday night according to police.
The incident occurred about 11pm at the intersection of York Street and Bathurst Street, causing a single-vehicle crash and forcing police to shut down roads for two hours.
Police arrived to find oil spread along Bathurst Street between York and Brisbane streets, creating a major hazard for vehicles and pedestrians.
One car skidded off the road and hit a sign after driving through the slippery surface, however police say no injuries were reported.
Police closed Bathurst Street and dispersed a nearby crowd of about 100 people and 30 vehicles from the area.
Two people were arrested for public order offences but no one has been charged over the oil incident.
Acting Inspector Jareth Anderson described the act as “pointless and reckless”.
“This incident caused a massive oil hazard for the length of Bathurst Street as vehicles drove through it or as pedestrians crossed the road,” he said.
“It was just fortunate that there were no injuries.”
Anderson said the incident diverted significant police resources on a busy Saturday night.
“Road safety and public safety is a priority for Tasmania Police and this incident is a thoughtless and reckless act that could have resulted in serious injury to motorists and pedestrians,” he said.
Police say they will follow up with local businesses this week to obtain CCTV footage from the area. Investigations are continuing.
Anyone with information, video footage or dashcam footage of Saturday night’s incident is urged to contact police on 131 444, Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report anonymously at crimestopperstas.com.au.
