TWO young drivers were collared by the West Vancouver police Friday morning following an apparent street race on Cypress Bowl Road.
An officer was training his speed laser on passing vehicles just after 10 a.m. when he reportedly clocked a latemodel Porsche and a BMW traveling at 143 kilometres per hour.
The BMW hurtled past the officer while the driver of the Porsche pulled a quick U-turn and sped off in the opposite direction, according to police.
The getaway was not to be, however as the driver of the BMW apparently lost control and careened into a ditch, putting an estimated $15,000 worth of damage on the vehicle. Police later found the Porsche parked at Mulgrave school.
Both vehicles were impounded and their drivers, both 17 years old, given immediate 15-day driving bans. Investigators are also recommending the pair be charged with excessive speeding and failing to stop for police.
In a similar incident last year, North Vancouver RCMP officers intercepted two young men racing in expensive sports cars up Mount Seymour. Neither man faced criminal charges, but their vehicles were seized under civil forfeiture laws and sold off.
The West Vancouver police have not yet commented on whether the Cypress Bowl incident will lead to seizure of the cars.
Cpl. Jag Johal, spokesman for the force, said it's important for parents to talk to their children about speeding, particularly before giving them the keys to powerful cars.
"Speeding has consequences," said Johal. "Whether or not someone gets hurt, there can be prosecution, and I know of some people who have lost their licences indefinitely. Driving is a privilege, not a right."
