Flashing headlights is typically used to let other drivers know of a hazard or if an officer or speed trap is ahead, not to pass other vehicles on the road when driving 148 km/h above the speed limit.
Just after 4 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 4, a 36-year-old man was doing just that, flashing his headlights as he sped past traffic on Highway 97 near Kelowna. One of the vehicles he passed was a BC Highway Patrol officer, who clocked the man driving 218 km/h in a 70 km/h zone in a white Honda Civic.
When the officer stopped the vehicle, the man claimed he was being chased by two other men. However, the man couldn't provide a description of the men or vehicles.
The driver was issued the following:
- Excessive speeding, Section 148(1) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), with a fine of $483;
- Driving without due care and attention, Sec. 144(1)(a) of the BC MVA ($368);
- A seven-day vehicle impound (plus tow fees) at the owner鈥檚 expense;
- A notice and order for insufficient tires, lowered suspension modifications, and a severely cracked windshield (the owner will pay for an inspection plus the cost of all repairs);
- The vehicle鈥檚 licence plates were seized and the car will need to pass inspection to be re-insured;
- A high-risk driving report was sent to the BC Superintendent of Motor Vehicles for an immediate driver鈥檚 licence review.
Because of the man's claim, the officer gave him his business card in case the man remembered the men or their vehicles. The officer has not heard from the 36-year-old.
"This is one of 220 vehicles that have been impounded for excessive speed by Kelowna BC Highway Patrol so far this year," Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol said. "Speeding at triple the limit is incredibly dangerous at any time of day. The financial penalties are serious, but there are many examples where this kind of speed ends in death."
