Driver ticketed near Merritt after police confirm test-driven vehicle can hit at least 172 km/h

MERRITT — Police are reminding motorists there’s no reason to travel 60 kilometres-per-hour over the posted speed limit – even if you are testing out a car you’re considering purchasing.

That situation played out near Merritt earlier this month.

In a news release issued Monday (July 27), BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) says an officer clocked a grey Toyota sedan travelling at 172 km/h in a 110 km/h zone along Highway 97C east of Merritt on July 17.

“The driver told police he and his girlfriend were on an overnight test-drive from Vancouver to Kelowna,” said BCHP Sgt. Michael McLaughlin. “The vehicle successfully demonstrated that it can speed and that it fits on the back of a tow truck.”

The 30-year-old driver, a Vancouver man, was hit with:

• A ticket for excessive speed (over 60 km/h), carrying a fine of $483
• The cost of a tow truck and a seven-day impound (responsibility of the registered owner)
• At least three years of high-risk driver premiums, bringing total costs close to $2,500

McLaughlin says police don’t know whether the driver purchased the vehicle once it was released from the impound yard.