OPS lay 3 stunt driving charges on Good Friday
Posted Apr 19, 2025 12:32:39 PM.
Last Updated Apr 21, 2025 12:42:59 PM.
Ottawa Police Service Traffic Enforcement Unit laid three separate stunt driving charges amidst patrolling Good Friday.
A 54-year-old Ottawa resident was stopped on Highway 174 at Place d’Orleans. They were caught driving at a speed of 143 km/h in an 80 km/h zone.
A 31-year-old was also stopped on the 174 at Blair Road, clocking 153 km/h in a 100 km/h zone.
The third driver, a 29-year-old, was caught driving 64 km/h over the speed limit on the MacDonald Cartier Bridge.
A stunt driving charge accompanies a 30-day roadside license suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment. Upon conviction, the crime carries a fine ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 and can include an additional penalty of a one to three year license suspension, six demerit points and up to six months in jail.
The City of Ottawa saw less stunt driving charges in 2024 compared to 2023, but the numbers are still high. In 2024, OPS laid 370 stunt driving charges.
It is an issue that OPS Traffic Enforcement Unit is dedicating more resources to.
“Stunt driving has consistently been one of our top priorities and it’s something we’ve focused on since the beginning of the pandemic,” Craig Roberts, Ottawa Police District Traffic Manager, said.
In 2024, OPS launched the Residents Matter Traffic Enforcement Initiative. The initiative is composed of frontline and Traffic Unit officers deployed to late-night, high-complaint locations in the Barrhaven area.
The program was designed to address speeding, impaired driving, unnecessary noise, and other dangerous driving in Ottawa.
Officers will also be out in full force over the holiday weekend nabbing any dangerous drivers.
– With files from CityNews’ Andrea Bennett
