Image: Supplied by Abby PD / The Abbotsford Police Department wrote on Twitter that it pulled over the driver of this red Dodge Magnum Thursday (Feb. 23) after the vehicle was observed driving 165 kilometres in a 60-km zone and passing an unmarked police vehicle. The 19-year-old driver was given a 7-month driving suspension and fines in the amount of $700, and the vehicle was impounded.
Speedy Abbotsford driver

Another Fraser Valley driver clocked at absurdly high speed, gets car impounded

Feb 24, 2023 | 10:23 AM

ABBOTSFORD — A 19-year-old driver with only a learner’s license will live to regret driving at over 160 kilometres an hour in a 60-km zone and passing an unmarked police car earlier this week.

Abbotsford Police tweeted Friday morning (Feb. 24) that they observed a vehicle driving at 165 km an hour in a 60-km zone on Thursday along Zero Avenue, located south of Abbotsford Airport and generally southwest of Abbotsford.

Once police pulled over the vehicle, they learned the 19-year-old driver only had an “L” license. The driver also did not have a required supervisor in the vehicle.

The driver was issued a seven-month driving suspension, fines totaling $700, and the red Dodge Magnum was impounded.

The incident follows a rash of speeding incidents involving Abbotsford Police. Last week, Abbotsford police reported a high-speed encounter with a driver in the city in which a vehicle traveled at 140 km/h along Gladwin Road at Mclure Road. That stretch of road has a speed limit of just 50 km/h. Police issued the ticket to the 17-year-old driver and then impounded the car immediately. Police say the silver coloured Jaguar belonged to the parents of the driver.

Prior to that, Abbotsford Police Department announced Wednesday morning (Feb. 15) that it impounded motorcycles belonging to two drivers after the respective drivers were observed driving at more than 200 kilometers an hour in an 80-kilometer zone along Highway 11.

On Tuesday night, February 14, at approximately 9:50 p.m., AbbyPD plainclothes patrol officers were travelling northbound along Hwy 11 towards Mission while conducting routine patrols, according to Sgt. Paul Walker, media relations spokesperson for the Abbotsford PD. Officers observed two motorcycles closing the distance behind them at high speeds, eventually passing the officer’s unmarked police vehicle and continuing in tandem. Officers continued to follow at a safe distance in a surveillance capacity and coordinated with Mission RCMP to assist with a vehicle stop upon the motorcycles coming to a stop.

While conducting surveillance on the motorcycles, police observed their speeds fluctuating from 180 to 200 kilometers an hour along Highway 11 in an 80-km zone. The motorcycles were observed conducting unsafe lane changes, passing other motorists on the roadways while driving at excessive speeds. At the time of the vehicle stop, both drivers failed to obey police directions and attempted to flee the vehicle stop, Sgt. Walker said.

Officers were able to remove both riders from their bikes, who were subsequently detained for dangerous driving. Both men were released from police custody and issued violation tickets for excessive speeding, driving without due care and attention, along with unsafe lane change. In addition, both men had their motorcycles impounded for seven days. Both men are 23 years old and are Mission residents. One of the men was previously involved in an incident on January 21st here in Abbotsford involving impaired driving. In that incident, he was issued an Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) and various violation tickets. Both riders were not injured during their detention by police.

“Road safety continues to be a priority for the AbbyPD,” Sgt. Walker said. “Our officers conduct enforcement daily in a uniform and plainclothes capacity. But unfortunately, we continue to see drivers putting others at risk each day while out on the roads. Driving is a privilege and not a right. Our officers will continue to hold these drivers accountable under the Motor Vehicle Act or, in some cases, with criminal charges.”