A 17-year-old driver has been charged with stunt driving and faces a number of penalties as a result.
Officers responded to a call regarding several vehicles doing donuts in the Bellevue Park Marina parking lot on the evening of May 18, says a news release from the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service. Upon arrival, police found one vehicle doing donuts at a high rate of speed.
As a result, the accused had their Driver’s Licence suspended for 30 days and vehicle impounded for 14 days.
Other penalties may include fines, additional licence suspensions, and jail time.
Full text of the release follows:
On May 18, 2023, officers with Patrol Services charged a 17-year-old with stunt driving.
Around 9 p.m., 911 Communicators received a call about several vehicles doing donuts in the Bellevue Park Marina parking lot. Officers were dispatched to the area where they observed one vehicle doing donuts at a high rate of speed.
The driver is facing a 30-day Ontario Driver’s Licence suspension and had their vehicle towed at their own expense, which will be impounded for 14 days. Court-imposed penalties may include a monetary fine between $2,000 and $10,000, a mandatory driver’s licence suspension of one to three years, and/or a custodial jail sentence not exceeding six months.
If found guilty, the driver will also face increased costs for high-risk insurance, six demerit points, and must attend a mandatory driver improvement course or their licence will be cancelled.
Intentionally spinning or drifting a vehicle is not only dangerous for the driver and passengers of the vehicle, but for everyone in the area. Other dangerous driving actions that are considered stunt driving include driving at speeds 40-50 km/h over the limit, careless driving, and several others which can be found in the Highway Traffic Act.
Driving is a privilege and violating the law can result in you losing that privilege. Sault Police hope this incident will raise awareness of the personal and financial consequences – and potential dangers – of stunt driving so that everyone can enjoy our community safely.