Nanaimo RCMP have made several excessive speeding traffic stops in the last week, including one Tuesday night involving an impaired driver. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

EXCESSIVE SPEED

Impaired driver clocked going double posted speed limit on Hwy. 19A

Feb 5, 2021 | 9:24 AM

NANAIMO — A young woman was prohibited from driving for 90 days and issued a $483 fine for excessive speeding after a late night jaunt with friends.

An RCMP patrol car spotted a vehicle travelling southbound on Hwy. 19A near Dorman Rd. around 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 2. The older model Hyndai Elantra was clocked at 137 kilometres per hour in a 70 kilometre per hour zone.

Cst. Gary O’Brien said the officer, who was travelling the other direction, quickly turned and pulled the driver and her passengers over.

“Sure enough the driver was actually impaired. Breath demand was read, two samples provided and both were a fail.”

Police said the 24-year-old driver was displaying “strong symptoms of impairment by alcohol.”

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It’s another example of a disturbing trend for Nanaimo RCMP.

O’Brien said in the last week, officers from the traffic unit issued five excessive speeding tickets in separate incidents all over the city.

“Speeds were ranging from 124 to 139 kilometres per hour. Some of the people had no drivers license, others had secondary issues with the vehicles,” O’Brien said.

Two of the drivers were 21-years-old, two others were in their mid-to-late 20’s and the fifth was 41-years-old.

RCMP are concerned with the weather slowly becoming better, this trend will continue.

“Speed is one of the leading factors of why people die on our highways and people need to get the message that they can’t drive those speeds,” O’Brien said. “They’re not old enough first of all, a lot of them don’t have the experience and it’s an accident waiting to happen.”

In all cases, the drivers were issued excessive speeding tickets and vehicles were impounded.

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