A 20-year-old motorcyclist has lost his vehicle and his learner’s licence after a case of brazen stunt riding that happened within a few metres of a B.C. Highway Patrol officer on the Sea to Sky Highway. The BCHP shared video of the July 18 interaction with a news release it issued Friday. In the clip, which appears to be from a motorcycle-based officer’s body-worn camera, the officer can be seen riding behind a civilian motorcyclist. The BCHP officer, who does not have lights or siren activated, starts to pull up alongside the other motorcycle, only for its rider to pop a wheelie and speed away. The officer then turns on his lights and siren and pursues the civilian rider, eventually catching up to him and initiating a traffic stop. According to the BCHP release, the incident occurred on Highway 99 near Furry Creek. Police had secured a “laser reading” showing the blue Suzuki motorcycle travelling at 146 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, prompting the BCHP officer to begin following it. The officer was attempting to record the Suzuki’s temporary licence plate number and find a safe place for a traffic stop when the stunt riding occurred. Police noted that the Suzuki didn’t have mirrors, which are required by law, and the rider did not see that there was a police officer right behind him. “Once the motorcyclist realized that he was being pulled over by police, he was fully co-operative,” said Sgt. Michael McLaughlin, in the release. “He was not trying to flee; he was simply unaware that he was being watched. By then it was too late. He’d already accumulated too many offences to keep his motorcycle.” The rider, a 20-year-old man from Richmond, had a valid Class 8 motorcycle learner licence, but he “had just finished serving a previous driving prohibition,” the BCHP said. He was issued tickets for excessive speed and driving without due care and attention, for a total of $851 in fines. His vehicle was also impounded for seven days, with the tow and impound at his expense, police said. With the added cost of at least three years of high-risk driver premiums, the rider’s total costs will be more than $2,800, according to the BCHP. Police also sent a high-risk driving report to B.C.’s Superintendent of Motor Vehicles, who imposed a six-month driving prohibition on the motorcyclist. “Speeding and dangerous driving are serious concerns on the Sea to Sky (Highway),” McLaughlin said. ”We will do everything we can to keep drivers safe and that means delivering real legal consequences. Every major crash has the potential to shut this highway down. We need people to slow down, drive responsibly, and make the highway safe.”
