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:
bilbo – He was stating a fact, how is that hatin? And you really think these kids paid for the cars? So maybe your statement should read; "It's amazing what you can buy when you use your parents money"
BUT in Aclam's defense; Canada COULD be America's hat. I mean....Canada technically is the furthest north country in the Western Hemisphere! Right?
I just don't get why Americas hat is even offensive. It's not like Mexico, Americas dirty socks...
Sorry...I didn't click on the "Reply" link. This comment was meant in response to some guy on Pg. 2 of this article. I don't find it offensive, honestly, but the guy on the other thread got all willy-nilly about people referring the U.S. as "America". Lol
How do you tell your Dad his $200,000 car has been impounded for 7 days? I'd love to hear that conversation.
I don't advocate "hating" on any Race or Nationality, but you don't get those kinds of vehicles by getting a job. At least not at college age anyway. I think the parents bear a fair portion of responsibility.
My thoughts exactly!!!!!!!
The parents may have purchased the vehicles, but the drivers are 100% responsible for their actions (especially at that age). Driving fast is fun....face it, people are not going to stop... sometimes you get caught, sometimes you don't.
You get this kind of money by having a business in another country where you can pay people slave wages.
Or a business in America or Canada that is just successful.
OK people, you may want to start using the Reply button... 🙂
I agree totally. Where are the parents of these spoiled brats? These idiots were thinking only of themselves, not caring what could happen to an innocent driver in the vicinity if one of them lost control of their car. And they all have N licenses, which means they are inexperienced drivers with absolutely no business driving those types of vehicles. I'm ashamed of the so-called punishment they were given. Their pictures and home addresses should have been published in the paper – maybe that would shame their families.
Aww no R34 N1's The N1 would have been nice to see.
How did they catch these supercars on horseback?
Who won?!
you got it all wrong ... it is about safety on the road, not money ... but, uh, well ... I hope you'll get it before someone will kill one of your family member during a "race". And by the way, they are too weak to race on a dedicated circuit, that's why all they can do is to "race" someplace else :))
Yeah, "racing" at 125 mph. Sounds like the most sissy race of all time. And what's with the lack of creativity among car choices? 3 Gallardos, 3 GT-Rs, and 2 Mas Turismos...So half of them decided to get the same car their buddy got, with the huge range of $100k+ choices avaialable? I'm disappointed.
125? that is what i thought, such a weak race!!!
yea we all noe
Errr...only one of them was the registered owner of the vehicle, ALL of them were under 21, and most of them hadn't even obtained full driving privileges. That means their PARENTS had mostly the same vehicle (which makes sense, since it sounds like the friends were all from the same wealthy clique).
As for the 125mph, I wouldn't put too much stock in that...the witnesses apparently are the ones reporting in that they were driving at 125mph, which is a difficult speed to guess unless you're driving just as fast. They could easily have driven much faster (since even my '04 GTO gets up there in a heartbeat), but without any proof at all, the police couldn't say that.
If it wasn’t ‘racing’ they cops wouldn’t call it that. I’ll ‘race’ on a track as soon as you build one in my area. Tool.
So you would much rather kill someone on a public road by doing something so illegal and dangerous. Your logic is like saying I'll stop robbing banks as soon as someone puts a million dollars in my account. Here's an idea. why don't you put a track in your local area if you are too lazy to actually drive to one.
Yep. Wanna be racers that watch too many movies and have more family money than brains! Real racers do it on the track.
Who won?
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police must have fast horses to catch these cars.
it's called the drive cops cars also.......ignorance..
125mph, Ha, my Granny does that !
Witness said they went 125 mph, that doesn't mean they went that speed.
Dumb as Kids they took your cars to lojack'em.
now you are going to be under full time Eye of the mounted cops.
have the cars cleaned guys WAKE UP!!
just say'in
rub out.
I've been to Vancouver many times and have yet to see or drive on a real hiway. the city is almost unique in not having major hiways. The streets that they were racing on are not 400 series hiways = interstates for you americans. Absolute lunacy to race there.
That kind of explains why the speeds were up to 125mph.
Canadians are so lenient in their punishment.. they should pass a law to confiscate the vehicles and hit these idiots where it hurts, in the wallet.
It is a joke that the "tough" Canadian law only sees the impounding of the vehicles for 7 days.
Tough should mean the vehicles being auctioned off and the proceeds going into a fund for victims of crime.
Boy, everyone here seems to know it all!