Image: BC Highway Patrol

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Excessive speed

Non-Canadian driver goes triple the speed limit in front of B.C. police, gets caught for defective vehicle

Aug 20, 2025 | 11:44 AM

KELOWNA — A non-Canadian resident paid the price for going triple the speed limit on a B.C. Interior highway earlier this month, all while flashing his headlights at motorists and even police to get out of the way.

According to a statement from BC Highway Patrol spokesperson Corporal Michael McLaughlin, a white Honda Civic was clocked doing 218 km/h in a 70 zone on Highway 97 near Kelowna in the early morning hours of Monday, August 4 at just after 4 a.m. Police say the vehicle had been flashing its lights as it sped past other vehicles and a police car.

When stopped by police, the 36-year-old driver claimed he was being chased by two other men, though he could not provide a description of the other vehicle or the men.

The driver of the white Honda Civic was issued the following:

• Excessive speed, section 148(1) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA), with a fine of $483;
• Drive without due care and attention, section 144(1)(a) of the BC MVA ($368);
• A seven-day vehicle impound (plus tow fees) at the owner’s expense;
• A Notice and Order for insufficient tires, lowered suspension modifications, and a severely cracked windshield (the owner will pay for an inspection plus the cost of all repairs);
• The vehicle’s licence plates were seized and the car will need to pass inspection to be re-insured;
• A high-risk driving report was sent to the BC Superintendent of Motor Vehicles for an immediate driver’s licence review.

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The BC Highway Patrol officer also gave the driver a business card in case his memory returned about the men and vehicles who were chasing him. To date, police say they have not received any calls.

“This is one of 220 vehicles that have been impounded for excessive speed by Kelowna BC Highway Patrol so far this year,” said Cpl. McLaughlin. “Speeding at triple the limit is incredibly dangerous at any time of day. The financial penalties are serious, but there are many examples where this kind of speed ends in death.”

The driver’s city of residence was not known, as it’s believed he is either a temporary or permanent worker, Cpl. McLaughlin said in response to a question from Fraser Valley Today.