VANCOUVER — West Vancouver Police say they stopped a 22-year-old sports car driver who was clocked travelling at 210 kilometres per hour in a 60 kilometre per hour zone on the Lions Gate Bridge.
The driver's 2015 Ferrari 458 has been impounded for seven days and the police say the West Vancouver man has been ordered to appear in court in September on charges of excessive speed and driving without due care and attention.
West Vancouver Const. Jeff Palmer said in an interview Tuesday that the driver was stopped Monday night when an officer heard the whine of the oncoming sports car while carrying out vehicle checks on the bridge.
"You're talking about impact speeds that would just be devastating and the potential for tragedy is just through the roof," Palmer said of the driver who was going more than three times the posted speed limit.
Palmer said the same officer stopped the same driver for a similar offence on the bridge in April, and at that time the Ferrari was allegedly travelling at more than 130 kilometres per hour.
Because the driver must appear in court, Palmer said the justice of the peace has the option to implement a fine that is higher than the standard ticket if the driver is convicted.
"Should this person be convicted on this latest allegation on the Motor Vehicle Act charges ... there is driving history that will be alleged, there is the previous time our officer dealt with him and two other previous excessive speed charges," Palmer said.
The three-lane Lions Gate Bridge spans Burrard Inlet and links Vancouver to West Vancouver.
Palmer said at 210 kilometres per hour, it would have been impossible for the driver to see traffic on the bottom slope of the bridge before "coming down basically on top of it."
"Fortunately, at this point, the vehicle, it's maximum speed for the next seven days at least is zero, sitting in the impound lot," he added.
West Vancouver Police say the department has impounded 95 vehicles for excessive speed so far in 2017.
