News release

Novice driver confirms her new car can speed. A taxi ride ensues

February 20, 2026 - Laidlaw, British Columbia
From: BC Highway Patrol

Content

A Ford Mustang and its fast engine is parked in an impound lot after speeding straight into the orbit of BC Highway Patrol.

On February 4, 2026, at 4:30 p.m., on Highway #1 at Mackay Road, Laidlaw, an eastbound blue Ford Mustang was clocked doing 200 km/h in a 100 zone.

The Penticton woman who was driving said that she had just purchased the 2018 Mustang and wanted to test the engine.

“We’ve heard this excuse before, and it does not hold up,” says Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “Speed limits are necessary because we all share the road. Doing double the limit is a serious danger to everyone around you and must come with consequences.” 

Consequences for the 39-year-old Class 7 Novice Driver included:

• A ticket for excessive speed (over 60 km/h), section 148(1) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act, with a fine of $483;
• A ticket for failing to display an “N,” section 30.10(4) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, with a fine of $109;
• The cost of a tow truck and a seven-day impound (at the owner’s expense, and far away from home);
• At least three years of high-risk driver premiums and escalating insurance that will bring the total costs to about $2,500.

The driver and her passenger left the scene in a taxi.

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