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- Police say the learner rider was clocked at 177 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.
- The stop happened exactly one week after a fatal motorcycle crash nearby.
- Authorities are seeking additional sanctions beyond tickets and a seven-day impound.
A fatal motorcycle crash on British Columbia’s Sea-to-Sky Highway was barely a week old when police say they encountered another rider allegedly traveling at a speed that could have ended just as badly. This time, authorities say the motorcyclist wasn’t even fully licensed, adding another layer to an already sketchy stop. If the previous tragedy was meant to serve as a warning, police suggest the message clearly didn’t reach everybody.
According to BC Highway Patrol, an officer recorded a red sport motorcycle traveling at 177 km/h (110 mph) in an 80 km/h (50 mph) zone near Furry Creek on July 11 at 7:43 a.m. The location is along Highway 99, the scenic Sea-to-Sky route connecting Vancouver and Whistler. The stop came exactly seven days after a separate motorcycle crash on the same highway claimed the life of another rider and caused lengthy traffic delays.
More: A Motorcyclist Did 130 MPH To Escape The CHP, He Forgot To Look Up
Police identified the rider as a 22-year-old woman from Vancouver who held only a Class 7 passenger vehicle learner’s licence and a Class 8 motorcycle learner’s license. “Sometimes we feel like a broken record when we say that speed kills people,” said Corporal Michael McLaughlin of BC Highway Patrol. “But clearly some people aren’t getting the message. Being 97 km/h over the limit could easily have repeated a tragedy from only one week ago on the same highway.”
The rider’s motorcycle was impounded for seven days under British Columbia’s excessive speeding laws, with towing and storage fees charged to the owner. She also received a CA$483 (about US$350) citation for excessive speed. According to police, the financial hit won’t stop there. The rider is expected to face at least three years of high-risk insurance premiums, pushing the estimated total cost of the incident to nearly CA$2,500 (roughly US$1,800).
If you’re wondering why she didn’t just immediately lose her ability to obtain a license, that could still happen. BC Highway Patrol is asking British Columbia’s Superintendent of Motor Vehicles to conduct a high-risk driving review. That process can lead to additional penalties, including a suspension or prohibition from driving.
