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Police helicopter helps halt speeding vehicles
May 13, 2013 By Carey Fredericks
May 13, 2013, West Vancouver - Eight drivers were ticketed and their vehicles impounded after they were caught going nearly double the posted speed limit on the Sea to Sky Highway.
Both West Vancouver Police and Squamish RCMP received calls Friday
around 11:30 p.m., reporting a caravan of cars speeding southbound on
Highway 99 near Furry Creek. As both agencies worked to respond on the
ground, the RCMP’s regional traffic patrol helicopter Air One began
tracking the cars by air.
According to footage and observation
from Air One, the cars were estimated to be travelling in excess of 140
kilometres per hour. The posted speed limit is 80 km/h.
The
chopper continued to follow the cars until West Vancouver Police were
able to set up a roadblock on Highway 1, east of Eagleridge Drive, and
stop the cars.
All eight vehicles were immediately towed and
impounded for a week, while the drivers were given tickets for excessive
speed. The drivers range in age from 21 to 25, with six hailing from
Vancouver, one from Richmond and another from Surrey.
Vehicles
that were impounded include five Nissan 240SX models, ranging in vintage
from 1989 to 1997. Also impounded were a 1989 Nissan Skyline, a 1992
Toyota MKII, and a 2000 Acura Integra. According to police, all vehicles
appeared to feature various high-performance modifications.
In
mid-April, a motorcyclist on the same highway was also fined and his
bike impounded, after two police agencies and an RCMP traffic chopper
worked together to track and halt the speeding bike.
