• Driver stopped far above the posted highway speed limit.
  • Officers noticed something sitting in plain view inside.
  • Case shows how fast a simple stop can escalate.

All of us make poor choices behind the wheel sometimes, but not all bad decisions are the same. In Canada, speeding to what the state classifies as an excessive degree can result in big penalties. Doing that with an open container of mind-altering drugs only makes the situation worse.

Now, a 70-year-old is finding that out the hard way with an impounded car and a suspended license.

More: Top Gear Producer Banned From Driving After Being Clocked At 24mph

The incident occurred on the morning of January 10, when officers from Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) ’s North East Region observed a vehicle heading west of North Bay at nearly double the posted speed limit. According to police, the driver, a 70-year-old man from Sturgeon Falls, was pulled over without incident. Hey, at least he didn’t add fleeing to this situation.

What Happens When THC Enters the Picture?

In any case, once officers pulled him over, things got worse for the driver. During the roadside interaction, officers also noticed an unsealed THC container sitting on the passenger seat, which constitutes a separate offence under Ontario law. As a result, the driver was charged with stunt driving as well as driving a vehicle with cannabis readily available.

Ontario’s Definition Of Stunt Driving Ruined This 70-Year-Old’s Morning
OPP

Under Ontario’s strict stunt driving penalties, police immediately suspended the driver’s licence for 30 days and impounded the vehicle for 14 days. Ontario defines stunt driving as traveling 40 km/h (25 mph) or more over the posted limit when driving above 80 km/h (50 mph), making this case well beyond the threshold for the charge.

The driver is now scheduled to appear in traffic court at a later date. Interestingly, the situation he’s facing is more strict than one might expect, given previous cases of ‘stunt driving.’ In 2017, a group of rally drivers all ended up with similar charges and impounded vehicles.

Their cars weren’t everyday fair either. They were Porsche 911s, AMGs, GT-Rs, and Lamborghinis. That said, they only lost their licenses for a week. Some were even let off with nothing more than a warning. Hopefully, it’s not too late to teach the older gentleman in this latest story a new trick: obeying the speed limit.