BC Highway Patrol out of Chemainus stopped a vehicle that was going almost 200 km/h on Highway 18 near Lake Cowichan on the evening of Thursday, March 16.
An officer spotted the vehicle speeding west at 194 km/h, almost double the posted speed limit of 100 km/h. The driver was headed right towards another officer who had been alerted and stopped the 20-year-old resident who had only a novice driver’s licence.
The driver was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to a local hospital. The vehicle was impounded for seven days and multiple tickets were issued including for excessive speed.
“The Cowichan Valley Highway (Hwy 18) usually has wildlife, such as elk, on or in close proximity to the roadway that become a visual distraction or something nobody wants to hit, especially in the dark,” said Const. Mike Infanti, of BC Highway Patrol 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.”
March is Distracted Driving Awareness Month and Highway Patrol and other police agencies have stepped up enforcement.
