BC Highway Patrol taking vehicles and giving fines near Golden

BC Highway Patrol caught one driver doing nearly twice the speed limit on the Trans-Canada Highway in Yoho National Park during a campaign to get people to slow down.

Police said a 24-year-old Williams Lake man with a Class 7 Novice license was caught going 168 km/h in a 90 km/h zone with too many passengers in his pickup truck and alcohol in his system, according to a press release from police.

“BC Highway Patrol is fully committed to keeping our highways safe, but we can’t be everywhere at once, and we need help from the public,” Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol said in the release. “If you see dangerous driving, please report it to the police. If you are the one who is driving dangerously; slow down, dude.”

The driver was hit with a total of $810 in fines, a vehicle impound, 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition and a five-month driving prohibition.

BC Highway Patrol is cracking down on dangerous driving all summer since highway traffic is up significantly.

Police impounded a Tesla that was going 148 km/h in a 90 km/h zone, leaving the family inside to search for another mode of transportation at Yoho National Park.

“Summer is always a busy season on the Trans-Canada, but we all need to obey the speed limit and drive with more caution,” Cpl. McLaughlin said. “Our officers feel like we are pulling people over moments before catastrophe, especially when drivers are speeding through national parks and construction zones.”