A trucker from Alberta was recently caught speeding through a construction zone in B.C.’s Nicola Valley—while hauling a load of nine cars, SUVs and other vehicles. B.C. Highway Patrol said the driver was pulled over on the morning of July 31 after an officer clocked his transport truck going 109 km/h in a 60 km/h construction area near Merritt. “Any time you appear to be speeding in a construction zone you will attract the attention of police,” BCHP said in a news release Monday. “That is doubly true when you are driving a fully loaded auto transport truck.” Authorities said the officer tried pulling the driver over with lights and siren activated, but that he “went through the entire construction zone before stopping.” The officer suspected mechanical issues were at play, and an inspection of the transport truck confirmed “improper brake performance” as well as a failure to have “adequate tires in good condition,” BCHP said. The driver—a 53-year-old from Calgary—was given a $368 ticket for excessive speeding along with several other fines for Motor Vehicle Act violations totalling $1,081. A Surrey-based company that owns the transport truck will be responsible for the cost of towing the vehicle and having it impounded for seven days. Sgt. Michael McLaughlin said B.C. Highway Patrol has been keeping a close eye on commercial trucks in the Thompson-Nicola region at the urging of local residents. “There’s an expectation that commercial truck drivers will be as committed to road safety as anyone else, and police are committed to upholding that standard,” McLaughlin said in a statement.
