An excessive speeder was caught after a high-speed collision on a provincial highway.
On July 9, 2024, around 5 am, BC Highway Patrol Kelowna was conducting speed enforcement on Highway 97 on the William Bennett Bridge in West Kelowna when a grey 4-door hatchback was observed travelling west at excessive speeds, more than 105 kph in the 60 zone.
Before the police could conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle lost control, striking both the centre and right medians, causing it to roll onto its roof. The sole occupant of the car did not suffer any life-threatening injuries. The subsequent investigation found the driver was prohibited from driving under the Motor Vehicle Act.
BC Highway Patrol reminds drivers that speed limits reflect the safe speed at which a vehicle can travel in ideal conditions and are integral to road safety. Exceeding those speed limits reduces a driver’s time to react, requires a longer distance to slow down or stop and makes collisions more deadly. Speeding amplifies the risk of losing control and makes it challenging to negotiate curves leading to skidding, sliding and rollovers.
Speeding is the leading cause of vehicle collision fatalities in British Columbia and police is encouraging everyone to obey the posted speed limits as deaths related to high speed collisions are entirely preventable.
