Northern Territory Police have charged a 23-year-old male driver after he was allegedly detected travelling at 158km/h in a 90km/h zone on Saturday afternoon.

At around 3pm, police detected the vehicle travelling along the Stuart Highway past Northcrest, allegedly exceeding the speed limit by 68km/h.

The vehicle, a black 2019 Toyota Crown, carrying four adult passengers, was intercepted by police in Palmerston.

When asked to explain the excessive speed, the driver reportedly told police they were “late for work”.

The driver was issued a notice to appear in Darwin Local Court on 18 November 2026.

Acting Sergeant Zackary Saunders from Darwin Traffic Operations said arriving late was preferable to not arriving at all.

“Being late for work may be inconvenient, but it is not an excuse to travel at 158km/h through a busy area.

“It was a Saturday afternoon, with heavy vehicle traffic and pedestrians nearby. At that speed, it only takes one driver to pull out or one pedestrian to cross the road believing they have enough time, and the result could be another horrific crash on our roads.

“If you are running late, call your workplace. Do not put the lives of your passengers and every other road user at risk to make up a few minutes.

“Police make no apology for taking this type of stupid and selfish behaviour seriously. The driver may have been late for work, but they will now need to make time for court.”