A 37-year-old Toronto man is facing a stunt driving charge after a car was clocked at nearly twice the speed limit on the Gardiner Expressway early Monday morning, police say.
He is one of three men to be charged with stunt driving in Toronto in the last two days. Two of the men were charged with impaired driving-related offences.
In the most recent case, a westbound 2003 Audi A4 was travelling at 188 kilometres-per-hour in a 100-km/h zone near Islington Avenue shortly after 2 a.m., police said.
An officer caught up to the car and pulled it over, leading to charges against the driver.
Police said the man is charged with stunt driving and speeding.
Because of the stunt driving charge, the man's driver’s licence has been suspended for seven days and his vehicle has been impounded for seven days.
Two charged in 30-minute span
On Sunday, police charged a 22-year-old Pickering man after a 2013 Kia Forte was caught travelling 144 km/h in a 90-km/h zone on the Don Valley Parkway, near Wynford Drive, at about 4:30 a.m.
Police said the man is charged with stunt driving, speeding, driving while under suspension and refusing to provide a breath sample.
About 30 minutes before that, officers stopped a 2008 Volkswagen Jetta that was travelling 113 km/h in a 60-km/h zone in Lake Shore Boulevard West's westbound lanes at Coronation Park Trail, according to police.
A 25-year-old Toronto man is charged with stunt driving, impaired operation of a motor vehicle and driving with a blood-alcohol level over the legal limit.
In 2012, Toronto police officers issued 381 licence suspensions for stunt driving.
A stunt driving charge carries an automatic seven-day licence suspension for the driver and it allows police to seize the speeding vehicle for seven days.
The law was introduced by the provincial government in September 2007 to deter street racing and speeding in an effort to prevent fatalities and injuries.
The definition of stunt driving includes driving a vehicle at 50 km/h or more above the posted speed limit.
A conviction carries a fine of $2,000 to $10,000, six demerits, up to six months in jail and a licence suspension of up to two years.
A judge can impose a licence suspension of up to 10 years if a second conviction occurs within 10 years of the first conviction.
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