Evo Street Racers: Street Racing Accidents

Man, 85, charged with street racing

Source: TheStar
Date: Jan 04, 2008
Author: Robyn Doolittle

An 85-year-old police say they clocked speeding at 161 km/h broke more than just the speed limit.

He also became the oldest person to be charged under new street racing legislation, which came into effect Sept. 30.

Two 75-year-olds nabbed in separate offences previously shared the record.

An OPP officer in a marked car spotted the Thornhill man driving east in the left lane of Highway 407 near Pine Valley Dr. At the time, he was speeding, said Const. Marilyn Reynolds.

Reynolds pulled alongside the senior, honked the horn and waved, trying to get him to slow down, but the man didn't notice, she said.

"He just blew by me," Reynolds said. "The fact that he didn't hear my horn and see my sirens (indicated) a problem."

At that point, Reynolds got tied up in traffic.

"Then she sees him changing lanes, slaloming through traffic," Sgt. Cam Woolley said.

When she finally caught up around Keele St., the man was allegedly zipping along in his Oldsmobile at 161 km/h – apparently on the way to the bank and to do some shopping.

"His initial reaction was `God damn. You're not taking my car!' She said, `No swearing' and he apologized," Woolley said. "This regulation is something the OPP is very strict about. Yes, he's a very nice old gentleman, but grandpa can get in an accident just as easily as a teenager."

After charging him, Reynolds drove the man to the bank.

If convicted, the senior will face a minimum $2,000 fine. His licence has been suspended and car impounded for a week.

Under new street racing legislation, anyone caught driving 50 km/h over the speed limit can be charged with street racing.

The change came after accidents such as the one that killed taxi driver Tahir Khan in January 2006.

Khan was days away from becoming a Canadian citizen when a silver Mercedes T-boned his cab. Alexander Ryazanov and Wang-Piao Dumani Ross, both 18, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death.

Both teens denied allegations of street racing. They were sentenced to one year of house arrest.