Teen driver sped past ‘HWY PATROL AHEAD’ sign while using phone, B.C. police say

An alert about police patrols is seen over Highway 1 through Surrey, B.C., on June 28, 2025. (Handout)

A young driver learned a costly lesson after allegedly speeding and looking at his cellphone at the same time – directly underneath an illuminated sign alerting him that police were patrolling nearby.

In a news release, B.C. Highway Patrol said the “less astute” driver, identified as a 19-year-old Coquitlam resident, was nabbed along Highway 1 through Surrey on the afternoon of June 28.

BCHP said an officer clocked the teenager’s white Mercedes sedan going 134 km/h in a 100 km/h zone, right underneath a sign reading “BC HWY PATROL AHEAD.”

The young man appears to have missed the pertinent message because he was distracted by his phone, said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin.

“Sometimes, life gives you a sign,” McLaughlin said, in a statement. “Make an effort to slow down and enjoy the drive. You might avoid getting ticketed and towed.”

The young driver received three fines under the Motor Vehicle Act totaling $673 – $368 for distracted driving, $196 for speeding, and $109 for using a defective motor vehicle – and his Mercedes was impounded for seven days.

He was already bound by a driving prohibition at the time, BCHP said, and was also given a summons for a future court date.