Ottawa police hand out 52 tickets following ‘unauthorized organized car meet’

Red and blue lights atop an Ottawa police vehicle are seen in this undated file photo.

Ottawa police say officers handed out 52 tickets to drivers in response to what police called an “unauthorized organized car meet” last week.

On the evening of April 4, officers were focused on areas such West Hunt Club Road and parts of Riverside South and Barrhaven.

In addition to the 52 tickets for things like speeding (12 tickets), improper mufflers (four tickets), obstructed licence plates (four tickets), and unnecessary noise (three tickets), officers also laid charges against five drivers for offences such as stunt driving, driving while suspended, and operating without insurance.

“While we can’t be everywhere, we could be anywhere. Ottawa Police, along with OPP and RCMP, will continue targeting irresponsible and dangerous driving,” said Const. Phil Kane of the Ottawa Police Traffic Escort and Enforcement Unit in a news release.

The stunt driving charges involved a driver going 115 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on River Road and Mulligan Street, a driver going 117 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on Hunt Club Road and Uplands Drive, and a driver going 154 km/h in the area of Highway 416 and Roger Stevens Drive.

The police automatic licence plate reader (ALPR) also caught one driver who was suspended and one driver who had no insurance and was using unauthorized plates.

Drivers charged with stunt driving face an immediate roadside 30-day licence suspension and 14-day vehicle impoundment, with potential fines of $2,000 to $10,000, a one- to three-year licence suspension, six demerit points, and up to six months in jail.

Drivers caught operating while suspended face a minimum $1,000 fine, while those without insurance face a minimum $5,000 fine.

Repeat offenders face harsher penalties, police said.