A tow truck driver is facing multiple charges after allegedly travelling nearly 100 kilometres an hour above the speed limit on the wrong side of the road in Mississauga, Ont.
Peel Regional Police said the driver was travelling 137 kilometres per hour in a posted 40 kilometres per hour zone March 15 at about 12:30 p.m. near Teldo Street and the Queensway.
The tow truck operator was stopped “for completely unacceptable driving behaviour,” police said in a social media post.
A 27-year-old man has been charged with speeding, racing a motor vehicle, careless driving, failing to stop at a stop sign, driving the wrong way, and failing to properly wear a seat belt, police said.
His licence was suspended and the tow truck was impounded.
This is not the first time a tow truck driver has been charged for excessive speeding by Peel police officers.
A tow truck driver was allegedly clocked going 112 kilometres an hour in a 70 kilometre an hour zone last December.
“Tow truck towed,” Peel police said in a Dec. 13 social media post. “Speeding is unacceptable, even if you are driving a tow truck and making your way to a collision scene.”
The driver was charged with stunt driving and his vehicle was impounded.
The day prior, Burlington OPP officers said they pulled over a motorist after allegedly clocking him going 192 kilometres an hour on the QEW, near Hamilton.
Police said the driver claimed to be speeding because his passenger had a stomach ache and needed to go home.
The 42-year-old driver was charged with stunt driving and had his licence suspended for 30 days. His vehicle was also impounded for 14 days.
Ontario increased penalties for speeding and street racing in 2021 to curb dangerous driving practices after the number of stunt driving incidents rose dramatically during the pandemic.
The OPP laid 1,050 stunt driving charges in Ontario, including 171 in the Greater Toronto Area between July 1 to Sept. 1 of that year, said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.
“Speeding is the number one killer on our highways,” Sgt. Schmidt told the CAA. “You might not think that it’s dangerous. You might think that you’re in full control. But you don’t realize how quickly traffic conditions can change.”
Stunt driving charges can be laid if a motorist drives 50 kilometres per hour or more over the speed limit when the limit is above 80 kilometres per hour, according to the Highway Traffic Act. In zones that are less than 80 kilometres per hour, stunt driving charges can be laid if the driver is travelling 40 kilometres above the speed limit.
