The Epoch Times has confirmed that two vehicles seized for stunt driving east of Toronto belong to officials from the Chinese Consulate in Toronto.
Ontario Provincial Police stopped two vehicles with diplomatic plates for stunt driving on Highway 401 in Northumberland County on July 4, according to a report by Today’s Northumberland. The vehicles, one a BMW SUV and the other a Mercedes SUV, were hauled away by police.
The vehicles were clocked at 158 kilometres per hour on the highway, which has a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour.
Documents obtained by The Epoch Times from the provincial government show that the owner of the BMW is Zhang Jinxuan, and the owner of the Mercedes is Lin Huasi. Zhang and Lin are both listed as consular officials with the Chinese Consulate in Toronto on the Global Affairs website.
It is not clear if Zhang and Lin were driving when the vehicles were seized by police.
The retail price of the 2018 BMW BX5 SUV is $48,725, and the 2020 Mercedes SUV $66,613.
When the drivers were pulled over, other drivers passing by honked and gave thumbs up, Today’s Northumberland reported. The police officer on duty said this is typically a sign that the drivers who were stopped had been driving aggressively.
“[Diplomatic plates or not], they are expected to conduct themselves as regular citizens of Ontario,” OPP Constable Chad Laperle told Today’s Northumberland. “All the laws still apply to them. They are not exempt.”
According to Laperle, drivers caught driving 50 kilometres per hour over the speed limit will have their vehicles impounded.
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