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RCMP: Vehicles impounded for dangerous driving

Vehicles speeding at over 130 km/h on the Sea to Sky Highway

A taste of summer brought out the speed demons last week.

On July 29 at 4 p.m. a northbound police cruiser on Highway 99 noted a Ford Mustang heading at roughly 130 km/h in the oncoming line. The police followed and clocked the driver, a 50-year-old male from Quesnel, at a speed of 129km/h in an 80km/h zone. He was charged with excessive speeding (over 40km/h over the speed limit) and had his vehicle impounded for seven days.

At 4:50 p.m. the police tracked an Audi SUV in the northbound lane travelling 130km/h in the same 80km/h zone. The driver, a 23-year-old Surrey woman, was also issued a ticket for excessive speeding and had her vehicle impounded.

Just after 7 p.m. on July 30, Pemberton RCMP noticed a male driving a dirt bike in Mt. Currie who was pulling stunts and spinning his wheels. He then drove onto Highway 99, despite the fact that the dirt bike was not rated for highway driving.

The RCMP determined that the 28-year-old male from Mt. Currie did not have a licence and was prohibited from driving. The bike was impounded for seven days and the male was given a ticket for driving without insurance. As well, he was given a notice to appear before a judge for violating the terms of his suspension.

On Aug. 1 at 2:10 p.m. the police spotted a motorcycle that was driving over 150km/h and pursued it. At one point the driver was clocked doing 178km/h in an 80km/h zone, more than twice the posted limit. The motorcycle was held up by traffic, allowing police to bridge the distance and pull over the driver at Highway 99 and Brandywine. The driver, a 40-year-old from Aldergrove, was given a ticket for excessive speed and had his vehicle impounded for seven days.

 

Helicopters used to intercept speeding motorcycles

The RCMP used a helicopter on Thursday, July 28 to track motorcycles travelling at a high rate of speed on the Sea to Sky Highway.

According to Opinion 250 News Inc., it all started at 7:15 p.m. when the Lower Mainland District Traffic Services helicopter spotted two sport bikes travelling eratically and hitting speeds of over 200km/h on Highway 99 near Furry Creek. Squamish RCMP intercepted the bikes, impounding both bikes for seven days. The drivers were ticketed for excessive speed, unsafe passing and crossing the double solid line.

While assisting the Squamish RCMP, the Air 2 crew spotted a pack of six more motorcycles heading north and travelling over 180km/h. The Squamish RCMP stopped those bikes as well, with five riders ticketed for speeding and one getting a ticket for excessive speeding and an impound.

The helicopter resumed its patrol, but quickly spotted another group of four motorcycles at Horseshoe Bay, heading southbound. The helicopter shadowed the men as they crossed the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and then attempted to evade the RCMP by driving underground at the Metrotown Mall. The Greater Vancouver Integrated Road Safety Unit stopped the riders as they exited the mall shortly afterwards, resulting in all four riders being given tickets for excessive speeding and having their motorcycles impounded.

The police are looking at the possible forfeiture of the bikes, citing a law allows the government to seize and sell property used in unlawful activity.

 

Friends rescue stricken swimmer

On July 28 at 3:30 p.m. a RCMP bicycle patrol at Lost Lake was alerted to a possible drowning. They attended the scene and discovered that the man's friends had taken the stricken swimmer to shore, where he was conscious and breathing.

According to reports the male was a good swimmer but was shocked by the cold water and cried out for help. His friends heard the call and dove in from the dock to retrieve him. A 25-year-old from Toronto was taken to the Whistler Health Care Centre for a checkup and then released.

"People have to be conscious when going into the water and overestimating their abilities, especially when it's cold," said Staff Sergeant Steve LeClair of the Whistler RCMP.

In summer 2009 during the heat wave two people drowned at Lost Lake in separate incidents.

 

Driver charged after sleep crash

A 45-year-old North Vancouver male is lucky to be alive after falling asleep at the wheel on July 30 at 2:31 p.m. He was heading south when he drove off the road and down the embankment, rolling over. The male was okay but his vehicle had extensive damage. He is being charged with driving without due care.