Driver charged with stunt driving after 12 teens found in U-Haul cargo area
Posted May 10, 2026 08:25:37 PM.
Last Updated May 11, 2026 11:36:55 AM.
A 17-year-old is facing stunt driving charges after a dozen teenagers were found riding in the back of a cube van on Friday night.
Ottawa police say as part of a targeted enforcement blitz across the city, they stopped a U-Haul van on Prince of Wales Drive near Maplehill Way. They found 12 teens, between the ages of 17 to 18, riding unsecured in the cargo portion of the van. Three other occupants were seated in the front, including one who was not wearing a seatbelt.
Police charged the driver with stunt driving for carrying passengers in the cargo area of the vehicle. Their license was suspended for 30 days, and the vehicle has been impounded for 14 days.
Three other drivers were charged with stunt driving as part of the blitz; a 30-year-old caught travelling 140 km/h in a 70 km/h zone on Strandherd Drive at Andora Avenue; a 20-year-old G2 licensed driver caught travelling 136 km/h in a 80 km/h zone on West Hunt Club Road at Woodroffe Avenue; and an 18-year-old driver caught travelling 117 km/h in a 70 km/h zone on Strandherd Drive at Dealership Drive.
In total, police laid 23 Provincial Offence Notices and 10 Part III summonses for offences related to high-risk driving behaviour and unsafe vehicle operation, including speeding, red light violations, unnecessary noise, improper tires, and seatbelt-related offences.
“These enforcement initiatives are about keeping people safe and preventing dangerous driving behaviours before someone gets seriously hurt,” officials said in a release. “Whether it’s excessive speed, street racing, or unsafe vehicle use, these behaviours put drivers, passengers, and the public at significant risk.”
