Senior faces stunt charges after Highway 63 traffic stop

An undated police image of an Ontario Provincial Police cruiser in a rural area. (File photo/Ontario Provincial Police/Facebook)

A 71-year-old driver is facing stunt driving charges after police stopped them for travelling more than 60 kilometres over the speed limit last week.

Ontario Provincial Police said officers stopped a pickup truck travelling 141 km/h in a posted 80 km/h zone on Highway 63 in Phelps Township at about 10 a.m. on Feb. 12.

In Ontario, stunt driving includes driving 40 km/h or more over the speed limit on roads with a limit of 80 km/h or under. The offence also covers dangerous behaviours such as racing and intentionally cutting off other vehicles.

In addition to the charge, police impounded the truck for 14 days and the driver’s licence was suspended for 30 days.

The accused now also has a future traffic court date in Ontario.

Court-imposed penalties for stunt driving may include a fine of up to $10,000, a driver’s licence suspension of up to three years and/or up to six months in jail. Drivers face a minimum first-time fine for stunt driving of $2,000 upon conviction.

Motorists convicted of stunt driving may also face six demerit points, higher insurance costs and a mandatory driver improvement course.

Police remind motorists to slow down

OPP Const. Kyler Brouwer emphasized the importance of adhering to posted speed limits.

“Slow down and drive safely, arriving a few minutes sooner is never worth the risk,” said Brouwer in a social media post detailing the incident.