Ontario Provincial Police have charged a northern motorist with stunt driving after a vehicle was recorded travelling 234 km/h in a posted 100 km/h zone on Highway 11 in Trout Creek. OPP said an officer was conducting traffic enforcement on Highway 11 in the Powassan area using a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) speed-measuring device at about 9:50 a.m. on Sept. 21. “The officer observed a southbound vehicle travelling at a high rate of speed and recorded its speed at 234 km/h in a posted 100 km/h zone,” provincial police said in a news release Monday afternoon. “At speeds like this, reaction time is dramatically reduced, stopping distances increase, and the consequences of a collision can be catastrophic,” Const. Kyler Brouwer said in a related social media post. Charges and penalties As a result of the investigation, a 25-year-old from Greater Sudbury was charged with stunt driving. In addition to the charge, the motorist received an immediate 30-day driver’s licence suspension and the car was impounded for 14 days. The accused is also scheduled to appear in Provincial Offences Court in North Bay at a future date. Under Ontario law, stunt driving includes driving 40 km/h or more over the limit on roads with a posted limit under 80 km/h, 50 km/h or more over on roads with limits of 80 km/h or more and travelling more than 150 km/h on any roadway. The offence also covers dangerous behaviours such as racing and intentionally cutting off other vehicles. Court-imposed penalties upon conviction can include a fine of up to $10,000, a licence suspension of up to three years and up to six months in jail. First-time offenders face a minimum fine of $2,000, along with six demerit points, higher insurance costs and a mandatory driver improvement course. Police warn of extreme speed risks “OPP reminds motorists that speeding continues to be a leading contributing factor in fatal and serious-injury collisions on Ontario roads.” Police added that at extreme speeds, a driver’s ability to react to changing road conditions, traffic, or unexpected hazards is significantly reduced, while stopping distances and collision severity increase dramatically. “Slow down,” added Brouwer in his post.
