BMW driver caught after hitting 234 km/h on Ottawa highway

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) are sharing results of a late night traffic blitz they conducted in September.

Officers were out on Sept. 19 for their late-night traffic enforcement initiative called “Residents Matter.”

They were in the Orleans area and issued 18 provincial offence notices (PONs), says an OPS release. Of those, 10 were for speeding, one each for an improper muffler, disobeying a sign, and littering on highway, as well as five for document infractions.

Police now say a notable incident from that blitz came shortly after midnight on Sept. 20 when they clocked a BMW travelling at 234 km/h on Highway 174 near Blair Road, breaking the speed limit by 134 km/h.

The vehicle was not initially stopped but was later spotted on Highway 417 by an Ottawa police K9 unit. That officer attempted to stop the driver but they took off into city streets downtown.

Following an investigation, a 27-year-old man from Ottawa was arrested on Oct. 1. He has been charged with the following:

• Dangerous operation of a motor Vehicle (Criminal Code)
• Flight from police (Criminal Code)
• Stunt drive – excessive speed (Highway Traffic Act)

The man was released and will appear in provincial court. Their licence was suspended for 30 days and the vehicle was seized and will remain as such until the court date.

Regarding speeding vehicles in Ottawa, Constable Phil Kane of the Ottawa Police Traffic Escort & Enforcement Unit said in a previous release, “Like our OPP enforcement partners, we are seeing some ridiculous speeds on our roads. These high-risk driving behaviours put everyone’s lives at risk, including their own.”

Chief of Police Eric Stubbs said concerns around street racing and excessive speeding are something police hear from residents and councillors often. He said in turn, officials have dedicated more time and effort.

“These group of people have turned this into some sort of sport or hobby, and it’s dangerous, it’s noisy,” he said. “There’s just nothing good about it.”

Police have previously conducted initiatives in Barrhaven, Riverside South and Ottawa’s east-end neighbourhoods. Stubbs said officials chose to conduct enforcement based on evidence and data from the area.

With files from Natasha O’Neill.