Ontario Provincial Police’s North Bay detachments laid three stunt driving charges over the Thanksgiving long weekend following separate traffic enforcement stops on Highway 17 near Mattawa. Saturday stop On Saturday at about 11:50 a.m., OPP said officers stopped a pickup truck on Highway 17 west of Mattawa after it was recorded travelling 150 km/h in a posted 90 km/h zone. “A 44-year-old resident of Petawawa was charged with stunt driving,” police said in a news release Tuesday. Monday stops On Monday at approximately 1:30 p.m., police said officers stopped a vehicle on Highway 17 east of Mattawa after it was recorded travelling 153 km/h in a posted 90 km/h zone while passing a police cruiser. “A 39-year-old resident of Kanata was charged with stunt driving,” OPP said. Later at about 3:10 p.m. on Oct. 12, OPP said officers stopped a vehicle on Highway 17 east of Mattawa after it was recorded travelling 140 km/h in a posted 90 km/h zone. “An 18-year-old resident of Cornwall was charged with stunt driving,” police said. Additional penalties In addition to the charges, all three motorists received immediate 30-day driver’s licence suspensions and their vehicles were impounded for 14 days. Safety reminder Provincial police used the incidents to issue a public reminder that excessive speed reduces a driver’s ability to react to changing road conditions, increases stopping distances and raises the risk of severe injury or death in the event of a crash. “OPP continues to focus on aggressive driving and speeding, which remain leading contributors to serious and fatal collisions on Ontario roads,” police said.
