The first two weeks of 2019 have seen an uptick in the number of reckless drivers apprehended in Saanich.
According to a press release from Saanich Police, traffic officers have issued over 300 tickets, attended 50 crashes, and conducted more than half a dozen impaired driving investigations since the start of the year.
Within two hours of conducting a high risk driving campaign near Royal Oak, officers stopped over 20 vehicles for speeding, issuing a $368 ticket for one driver whose vehicle was also impounded for seven days.
There were two prominent cases of bad road behaviour:
Motorcycle mayhem
Earlier this week, Saanich Police responded to several calls about a motorcycle travelling 200 km/h and doing stunts on the Trans Canada Highway.
When the rider saw traffic officers approaching, they split the lanes of traffic to avoid being stopped.
The vehicle is described as an orange, or red, racing style bike without a licence plate, and was spotted travelling north on Highway 17 and later again going west on McKenzie Ave.
Officers are looking for witnesses and anyone who may have a video of the incident, which occurred on Saturday, January 12th at about 1:40 p.m.
Persistently passed out
On Sunday, January 13th, at about 10:40 a.m., officers apprehended a driver who reportedly kept passing at out stop lights.
The blue 2018 Audi Q5 was swerving through traffic, driving south on the Trans Canada Highway when the driver fell asleep at the wheel while waiting at a red light at McKenzie Ave.
He awoke after several light cycles and then turned onto McKenzie before promptly passing out again at a red light at the intersection of McKenzie Ave/Burnside Rd West.
The driver then woke up once again and continued west on McKenzie Ave before being stopped by police.
The 54-year-old man was promptly arrested and is facing charges of impaired driving and driving with a blood alcohol content over 80mg%. He is due to appear in court in February.
Officers are looking for additional witnesses, including anyone who may have knocked on the drivers’ window while he was stopped in traffic.
