This could be the plot for a movie, "Fast and Furious Canada," or maybe "Fast and Furious, the Young and the Rich."
Police in British Columbia say they impounded $2 million worth of high-end vehicles this week after witnesses reported the 13 cars racing on a metro Vancouver highway at speeds of 125 mph (200 kph).
The high-end race cars included a Ferrari, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, an Audi, an Aston Martin, Nissans and a Mercedes, according to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police press release.
Two of the racers would run side-by-side to block other traffic going in their direction on the highway while the others cars would take off in a race, witnesses told the RCMP.
"These drivers seemed to be looking for attention. Well, they definitely got the attention of police," Cpl. Holly Marks, spokesperson for the Lower Mainland District Regional Police Service, said in the press release.
What the racers, who police said are all under age 21, won't get is harsh punishment.
"Each driver will be charged with Driving without Reasonable Consideration and receive a violation ticket with a specified penalty of $196. Additionally, these drivers will be responsible for all associated towing and storage charges," according to the RCMP press release.
That's because police didn't actually catch them in the act and acted only on witness accounts. They weren't caught on radar, video or seen by a police officer, Superintendent Norm Gaumont, RCMP officer in charge of traffic enforcement for the Lower Mainland, told the Surrey Now newspaper.
"I know there's a lot of disappointment, wondering why we only charged them with an offence of $196. They fact of the matter is, we have to look at all the evidence we have and what we're able to prove," Surrey Now quoted Gaumont as saying. "That's why we've charged them with driving without due consideration for the public."
If police were able to charge the 13 drivers with more severe offenses, they could have faced forfeiture of their vehicles, according to a Vancouver Sun report.
The RCMP said most of the drivers were operating their vehicles on "N" class licenses, which means they had not yet attained full driving privileges. Only one of the drivers was the registered owner of the car they were driving, Gaumont told Surrey Now.
The drivers included 12 men and one woman, according to Surrey Now. Gaumont told the paper they were on their way to have a meal when they decided to race.
According to the Sun, the vehicles were:
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Having lived in the Lower Mainland most of my life, including being a young woman with a fast car, a few things – we used to drive over an hour out to the middle of farmland late at night and race there, not on a highly travelled highway. Not legal, not smart, but at least a smidgen safer than these ones!
At that time the racetrack was closed down. NOW Mission Raceway is open now, so yes, go there, race safely and legally! It's such a rush, no matter where you are – and ithe track actually adds to the experience, the pits, the light tree, the smells, the atmosphere.
And as for having those high dollar cars and being so young – maybe their parents should be brought up on charges too. Especially the parents of the driver with the "N" license – there is no way this young person has the experience to skillfully, safely drive this powerful vehicle. Most experienced drivers don't have the skills, let alone someone who has been driving less than 2 years – which is the time required to have the privilege of removing the "Nerd sticker"!
let them go to the nearest track, charged them for the use. that way everybody wins.
Who's the poor guy with the 2005 Aston Martin???/ Betcha they all make fun of him....i mean its 6 years old already
AND... as for who won? The cops! As well as the towing company
Wrong. Lawyers always win.
You don't think lawyers work for Crown Counsel, Victor?
I am a older now, but but when I was 16 I got a ticket for racing and they took my Lic. away from me for 6 months. I won't forget that! It's diffident today you see people driving fast all the time.
I think luxury cars are just another way, the Illuminati spits in our face.. The Illuminati is the world's enemy, because they think they are better then everyone else and deserve more.
I find it funny that people say that the Nissan doesn't belong in the list above – when in fact, the NIssan GT-R (especially the 2012 with 530 HP) is FASTER than anything in that list (2012 = 11 flat 1/4 mile, 0-60 in 2.88 seconds and a 7:24:22 Nurburgring time). There is no car on the list besides the Nissan that can claim faster times. Only the top speed of the V10 Lambo and V12 Ferrari is higher than the V6 TT (much heavier) Nissan.
So glad the stupid cops didn't catch em! They were going almost 100mph slower than they could have been traveling. Sheet, I've hit 125 in my VW Rabbit and I didn't even realize I was going that fast until I looked down. Cars these days are a lot safer and can handle those speeds. Raise the speed limits!!! It's been 55mph for the past 50 years and look at all the advancements made in handling, braking, and overall safety. I want to be able to shorten my lengthy road trips already!!!
Look at the decline in driving skills and the increase of costs due to death and injury out there and see if you can still say that. Of course you can, because it is all about you being inconvenienced by the slower drivers out there. You know, the ones that follow the rules of the road, signal turns and don't cut off left turners by stepping on the gas when the light turns orange.
We have similar problems here in Portland with primarily middle eastern youths, ridiculously fast expensive cars and ZERO consideration for public safety and/or traffic laws. What about that new deportation law anyway, LOL.
All racers under the age of 21?!? All of my "under 21" cars were "under 2100". (The first one was $300)! These guys can bite me.
And I'll bet they were primarily Asian-Canadians...who else that age would have those kinds of vehicles? And at least down here in California, everyone universally-acknowledges the worst drivers of all are...ASIAN! Good thing nobody was hurt!
Who do you think invented the lane change from #1 lane to #6 lane in less than a second and even in less time if the were getting onto an offramp. I have NEVER seen one of them ever turn their head to look.
Still upset mommy needs to give you a ride to the unemployment center every day, huh?
Using Lenny's impeccable logic...we should have another Holocaust.
This is news?
I am sure this made their day! Having their cars listed on CNN was certainly worth the $196 Canadian. Those car racing hoodlums! What a compliment to that demographic.
At 125, my Yugo could be winning. I just want to know who won ton. LMFAO. For you Mike, that is sarcasm.
Well how do they know how fast they were going and I mean the witnesses (not the police) and a good lawyer could get them off of the charge of public disregard, since they blocked traffic they were considering public safety.
Yes they were considering their safety from prosecution by keeping the public out. They weren't considering anybodys' safety by blocking the roads or traveling on them at speeds in excess of the engineering design parameters.
What, no Bugatti !