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:
Saud's? When I went to college in Oregon no less, there was a pack of about 15 guys who were rolling brand new Vette Z06's, BMW M5's, a Ferrari or two etc. They were all the saud's studying either business or petroleum engineering over from the home country.
Some of them weren't half bad, nice guys. They certainly weren't afraid to flash their cash though.
What I want to know is when is the auction?
The article stated after paying their small fine and all associated towing/impound fees they will get their cars back.
Should have kept reading.
LOL a 2005? What a joke.
I don't get what you're talking about. What, do engines from 2005 not work any more?
@Stan – Making fun of a 2005 Aston Martin, huh? And what kind of high end foreign sports car do you own that will actuall hit speeds of over 100 mph?
Im pretty sure each of these cars is still 90% better than what you are driving...
The Nissan's must have been the blocking cars for the others that raced!
@MacKeogh
I'm pretty sure he was joking.. relax dude..
I believe he was being facetious.
haha heck yea thats what im talkin bout these kids shouldnt have even been pulled over or anything there was no actual evidence just a he said she said but then again that is canada glad im in the u.s.a where its right
Where whats right?? Please dont say your legal system...
In the U.S.A. they would have taken you out of the car and beaten you on camera.
So they can get fined on witness accounts alone? With no other evidence besides owning a flashy car?
Happens all the time here. Then you just fight it and the court throws it out.
So police should only be able to charge people with murder if they actually are there watching when it happens? Eyewitness evidence is actually unusually direct evidence
another crap headline by cnn. the police didnt grab the cars at all
II love media marketing! Take the attention grabbing headline , pull out the hype and you have the truth:
"12 rich kids get speeding tickets". At least this helps answer the question of why more and more people don't trust the media.....
200kph = 120mphish. Meh. I've gone faster than that in my regular Audi.
Get to 240-250kph and then we'll talk.
I hit 243kmh in my 2.0T Jetta, and that was BEFORE it was chipped... Selling it for about $13k if any of these guys need a new ride LOL
haha.. "my regular Audi" Not my R8, RS4, or even and S6.. it's just regular.
This news is not worthy to be in CNN.
CNN is loosing it's touch and getting materials like a local college newspaper.
Bleh!
And your spelling is below a grade school newspaper. The word is "losing" not "loosing" and "it's" should be "its".
How did we get from the cars & racing to race, money and who owns and but what?
Only 125 mph? PSHT! I think all of those cars are capable of at least 190 mph. What a bunch of wimps.
Exactly!
My crappy Mitsubishi Mirage did 120mph.
Why is this news?
Yea, but who won?
The article didn't cover the only important fact... Who won?
the lede for this story doesn't make any sense
+1