A novice driver on Vancouver Island caught travelling almost double the speed limit in a 100-kilometre-per-hour zone is facing multiple speeding tickets, according to BC Highway Patrol (BCHP).
On March 16, a BCHP officer observed a vehicle travelling westbound at 194 km/h in a 100 km/h zone along Highway 18 near Lake Cowichan, police said Monday.
The driver then sped past another officer, who observed them going 191 km/h.
Police then pulled over the driver, a 20-year-old man and local resident with an “N” driver’s license. He was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and transported to hospital.
In a news release, police did not reveal what led to the man’s arrest.
Usually, wildlife like elk are seen on or close to Highway 18, becoming a visual distraction “nobody wants to hit, especially in the dark,” said Const. Mike Infanti with BCHP Chemainus.
“Thankfully, this young man did not get to meet one of these animals or any other obstacles prior to police meeting up with him,” added Infanti in the release.
Along with the tickets, which included excessive speed, the driver’s vehicle was impounded for seven days. B.C.’s Motor Vehicle Act defines excessive speed as 40 km/h or more over the posted speed limit, with a seven-day impound resulting from a first offence.
Ethan Morneau
