A B.C. driver has a hefty bill to pay after being stopped by BC Highway Patrol for a safety issue.
An officer pulled an Acura over on Jan. 9 at 4 p.m. on Highway 3 near Christina Lake after he clocked the vehicle going 130 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.
It turns out, the driver had used a gate latch to close his door, alongside a “series of safety issues,” according to Highway Patrol.
“It’s amazing that this particular car could go that fast without disintegrating,” Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol said in a release.
“The owner had put in some effort to hammer out the dents and spray paint the repairs, but his car was not roadworthy. It looked like it had been chewed up by Robosaurus.”
Highway Patrol also said that the rear window was missing and had been replaced with rebar and duct tape and the driver’s door could only be held closed by the garden gate latch.
A garden gate latch was holding this car door closed.
BC Highway Patrol
The driver, a 22-year-old Kelowna man, was issued:
- A ticket for excessive speed (between 41 and 60 km/h), ($368);
- The cost of a tow truck and a seven-day vehicle impound at his expense;
- High-risk driver premiums and escalating insurance costs for a minimum of three years;
- A Notice and Order requiring the vehicle’s removal from the road until all defects are fixed and the vehicle passes an inspection (all at the owner’s expense).
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“Any time you modify an essential component of your vehicle, including door locks, windows, steering, brakes, or suspension, you need to get that vehicle inspected,” McLaughlin added.
“And if you’re driving in a vehicle that’s obviously not roadworthy, you probably shouldn’t speed. Police can’t ignore that.”
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