5 Ottawa drivers charged with stunt driving on Thursday; 12 since Monday

A close-up of an Ottawa Police officer’s badge is seen on Thursday, April 28, 2022 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The Ottawa Police Service caught five more "high flyers" on the city's roads on Thursday, adding to an already busy week for traffic enforcement.

Police say they laid the first stunt charges of the day on a driver who flew past an unmarked police vehicle in the Longfields Drive and Prince-of-Wales Drive area. The driver was clocked at 151 km/h in an 80km/h zone.

A 19-year-old was then caught on Highway 174 for speeding to over 60 km/h over the posted limit and another was charged on Bank Street South for going 40km/h over.

Police subsequently caught another pair of "lead-footed" drivers later in the afternoon. One was going 49 km/h over the posted speed limit on Highway 174 near Trim Road and another was speeding to 54 km/h over the posted limit on Richmond Road near Fallowfield Road.

Stunt driving has been a perennial problem for the Ottawa police, who have laid 12 stunt charges against drivers since Monday.

The OPS Traffic Escort & Enforcement Unit frequently posts stunt drivers on social media, but does not name the drivers.

Stunt driving charges apply at 40 km/h above the speed limit on roads with a posted limit below 80 km/h and at 50 km/h over the speed limit on roads with a speed limit over 80 km/h. All the drivers were hit with an automatic roadside licence suspension of 30 days and a 14-day vehicle impound.

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