A teenager driving his dad's Mercedes at speeds unheard of by local cops is facing street racing and criminal dangerous driving charges after flying by an OPP officer at 308 km/h.
OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt says the driver was pulled over on the Queen Elizabeth Way (Hwy 403) Saturday night around 10 p.m. in the Burlington area, just west of Toronto.
The teen, described by Schmidt as "a 19-year-old kid, G2 driver," was in his father's car with another 19-year-old male when an officer clocked him at 308 km/h — the fastest speed Schmidt says he'd ever heard of in such a situation.
For perspective, a Boeing 747 takes off at 290 km/h.
308 km/h on the #QEW. Two 19 year kids going for a “drive” with dads car. Driver charged with #StreetRacing https://t.co/iDw5r7nEB9
— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) May 10, 2020
"I'm pretty much speechless on this one," said Schmidt in a Periscope live-stream Sunday afternoon. "Unbelievable speeds, we're talking 191 miles per hour... we're talking 85 metres a second — 280 feet per second."
"This is absolutely egregious, for anyone to be going those kinds of speeds," Schmidt continued. "Three hundred and eight kilometres per hour? The speed limit is 100. There are areas where it's 110. When you're going triple the speed limit? I don't even know where to begin with that."
Schmidt said that other motorists driving on the QEW began "honking in delight" when the Mercedes was pulled over, relieved to see it taken off the road.
"Can you imagine this car going by you at 308 km/h?" he asked, noting that he's seen many collisions in which a driver is startled and automatically swerves after someone else shoots by them on the highway at "obscene speeds."
308 km/h on #QEW #Burlington. 191MPH 280ft/sec 85m/sec
— OPP Highway Safety Division (@OPP_HSD) May 10, 2020
19 year old driver charged with #StreetRacing and Criminal Dangerous Driving. #7DayLicenceSuspension #7DayVehicleImpound pic.twitter.com/VyrSHx7QQm
Fortunately, nobody was hurt in this case, but it could have ended in a violent mess had an officer not pulled over the driver when he did.
"This could have turned into the most devastating fatal crash ever. This vehicle would have been completely destroyed," said Schmidt. "When you take that kind of attitude and put it out on the highway with other people around you... unbelievable."
For his actions, the 19-year-old had his license taken away for seven days. His dad's car was also automatically impounded for the same amount of time.
He was also charged with stunt driving, or street racing, under Ontario's Highway Traffic Act, but he is also charged criminally with dangerous driving — an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and fines of up to $10,000.
by Lauren O'Neil via blogTO
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