Teen Facing Shocking Speeding Charge
Posted May 19, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Despite all the attention on the OPP long weekend safety blitz targeting aggressive drivers, one young motorist apparently failed to get the message.
A 17-year-old boy is facing charges including racing and careless driving, after he was allegedly clocked travelling 239 kilometres an hour just north of Barrie Sunday morning.
The teen caught officers’ attention as he allegedly sped along the northbound Highway 26 at a shocking 159 km/hr above the posted limit just before 2am. Police said they followed the black 2000 Lincoln LLS as it turned onto Findlay Mill Road and dangerously and speedily passed other cars on a blind hill.
The vehicle was finally pulled over where officers discovered the teen driver had four passengers, all under the age of 18.
“We had a lot of problems with young men this weekend doing what we call extreme driving, probably the worst example was a 17-year-old near Midhurst doing 239 kilometres an hour in an 80 zone with four of his buddies in the car. A total recipe for disaster,” OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said.
The young man had his vehicle and licence seized for seven days under the province’s street racing law and he’s scheduled to appear in a Wasaga Beach court on June 17th.
The teen is also facing thousands of dollars in fines.
Many other drivers apparently aren’t getting the message about the dangers of speeding. The OPP say they’ve charged 132 motorists in the Toronto area with racing since the safety blitz began Friday morning. Police have two planes in the air watching the highways and have put every available cruiser on the roads to ensure cottagers and campers get home safely.
“We’ve got big signs even warning the people about the aircraft,” Woolley said. “They’re still zipping past.”
