Aerial footage showing “excessive speeding, stunt driving and racing” north of Toronto has been released by police as they announce hundreds of charges have been laid in a summer project.
Last month, officers with the York Regional Police started a project to “address concerns of organized street racing in the city of Vaughan.”
As part of the project, officers were out in “targeted locations” each weekend looking for gatherings of modified vehicles and organized races. Police did not state the exact areas they were pursuing.
The project resulted in 28 vehicles being stopped and inspected by officers for racing or for modifications. As a result, 20 drivers had their vehicles towed and their licences suspended, police said.
In total, more than 390 charges were laid under the Highway Traffic Act.
Officers said 34 tickets were also issued for other provincial offences and 10 charges were laid under the Criminal Code, including dangerous operation of a vehicle, impaired driving-related offences and flight from police.
While announcing these charges in a news release issued on Friday, investigators released footage captured by police helicopter as part of this project.
The video is a minute long and appears to show multiple vehicles racing, as well as several vehicles and people congregated in specific areas.
The footage also captures the arrest of two people.
Investigators are encouraging anyone who witnesses unsafe driving to report it by either calling 911, if the incident appears to be potentially life-threatening, or dialing their non-emergency line.
