Brisbane Broncos, Ezra Mam allegedly caught drug driving, car crash, potential charges, investigation

Canberra lawyer Tom Taylor has warned Brisbane Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mamu could face up to 14 years in prison for his role in a two-vehicle crash on Friday afternoon.

The mum was driving along Simpson Road in Bardon, Brisbane, when his Ford Ranger collided head-on with a Toyota Camry, which was being used as an Uber.

The 21-year-old man was allegedly driving without a license and subsequently failed a roadside drug test.

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Mam has the right to the presumption of innocence, she has not been arrested or charged, but she is talking to Nine. TodayTaylor stressed that “serious charges” had been brought against him.

“The exact nature of the charges will really depend on the evidence collected during this investigation,” he said.

“There is little public information about this at this stage, but there is still work to be done.

“The types of charges and the consequences that flow from those charges will really depend on the evidence collected.”

Queensland Police said the mum was driving without a license at the time of the incident and confirmed a positive roadside drug test.

Results from further testing may take a few weeks to come back.

“The two more serious charges actually relate to the drug in his system – if a blood sample taken at the hospital confirms the presence of the drug in his system,” Taylor said.

“It usually takes them a week or two to recover.

“What we do know is that the roadside test is an indicator of the presence of a drug in saliva.

“These tests will only show four types of drugs: cocaine, cannabis, MDMA and methamphetamine, also known as ice. But they can be unreliable, so the best test would be blood tests to confirm the presence of the drug, as well as the amount of the drug, which through expert judgment will determine how much adverse effects he might have had if the drug were in his system.”

He added that “driving style” would also have an impact on policing.

There were three passengers in the Toyota Camry, including a school-age child.

All three were taken to hospital in stable condition.

Brisbane confirmed on Sunday it was working with the NRL’s integrity department.

With his playing future hanging in the balance, the NRL could decide to suspend Mam for bringing the game into disrepute.

But Taylor believes the “real sting in the tail” comes from the Broncos and their disciplinary choices.

“They are going to impose internal sanctions on Ezra,” he said.

The investigation into the car crash is the second time Mam has come under the radar of the NRL’s integrity department in as many months after he was investigated over interactions with fans at a popular Bali nightlife spot last month.