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BMW clocked at 130 km/h in winter storm impounded by West Van police

Excessive speed in bad highway conditions a dangerous combination, say West Vancouver police
cop car portion
Excessive speeding in bad road conditions netted driver in West Vancouver a seven-day impound.

A Vancouver man who was clocked on the Sea to Sky Highway driving over 50 kilometres an hour above the speed limit in the middle of a winter storm now has a week to consider the wisdom of his actions after his car was impounded for seven days.

A West Vancouver police officer spotted the 2007 BMW 328i speeding north near Ansell Place, north of Horseshoe Bay, around 10 p.m. Tuesday night, said Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department. The vehicle was recorded driving 131 km/h in an 80 km/h highway zone, said Goodmurphy.

“And the conditions were extremely poor,” he added. “It was raining heavily.”

Goodmurphy said runoff from the rock face next to the highway was pooling on the road at the time so “the likelihood of hydroplaning or losing control was very high. It was extremely dangerous driving just by the nature of the speed alone, let alone the conditions.”

The driver, a 33-year-old Vancouver man, was issued an $81 violation ticket for failing to produce a valid driver’s licence as well as a $368 ticket for excessive speeding. His car was also towed and impounded for seven days.