News release
BC Highway Patrol teams up with Air 1 helicopter to reel in a two-time excessive speeder
October 20, 2026
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Highway 1, British Columbia
From: BC Highway Patrol
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Content
Unless you have eyes on top of your head, you’ll never know when a police helicopter is watching your driving.
Police are releasing video that shows a two-time excessive speeder losing his dad’s 2026 Cadillac to an impound, and likely his own driver’s licence, as a cautionary tale to other motorists.
On October 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., the RCMP “Air 1” helicopter spotted a black Cadillac SUV that appeared to be going much faster than the flow of traffic on Highway #1 eastbound near the Brunette Overpass, Coquitlam. The Tactical Flight Officer in Air 1 recorded a speed of 175 km/h in a 90 zone and immediately engaged BC Highway Patrol over the police radio.
“Air 1 followed from above until the black Cadillac was pulled over by BC Highway Patrol just west of 200th in Surrey,” says Sergeant Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “Weaving through traffic while more than 80 over the limit is unacceptably dangerous. We want every driver to see this video and understand that we’re using every tool at our disposal, including helicopters a thousand metres above your head, to keep our roads safer.”
Transcript
Video description
A video from a police helicopter shows a wide view of traffic on Highway #1, Coquitlam, before zooming in on a black Cadillac that is going noticeably faster than the flow of traffic and weaving through lanes.
Transcript
Tactical Flight Officer (TFO): Ooh it's a Cadillac.
[unintelligible]
Pilot: Oh, 170?
TFO: Yeah, 175.
Pilot: Oh he's cooking.
The camera shifts to a view of the black Cadillac speeding past traffic on the Port Mann bridge.
TFO: Man, I bet you this thing is electric. How fast he got up right away.
Pilot:Yeah. What's the heat look like on it?
The camera view shifts to a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) that shows the only bright spots on the black Cadillac are the tires.
TFO: It's just the tires.
Pilot: Yeah.
Pilot: There's no engine heat. Right, it's just tires.
The camera view shifts to a multi-lane stretch of Highway near 200th, Surrey, where a white, unmarked police car with its emergency lights activated pulls over the black Cadillac.
TFO: Pulling over. And Air 1, he's pulling over on the HOV shoulder uh just west of 200th.
BC Highway Patrol (BCHP): Yeah, I got him. What was your top speed for him?
TFO: Top speed was 1-7-5 in the 90 zone.
BCHP: Copy that.
While at roadside, the BC Highway Patrol officer learned that the black Cadillac SUV belonged to the driver’s dad, and that the same driver had gotten the same vehicle impounded for excessive speeding just one month earlier.
The 18-year-old Novice driver from Abbotsford was issued:
- Excessive speed (41 to 60 km/h over the limit), section 148(1) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) with a fine of $368,
- The cost of a tow and a seven-day impound (ICBC may choose to increase a second excessive speeding offence to a 30-day impound) at the expense of his dad (the Registered Owner),
- Increased high-risk driver premiums for at least three years (since the driver is on his second excessive speeding offence, he will pay escalating costs) that push the total cost to over $2,500,
- A review of the Novice driver’s licence status, as a result of accumulated penalty points, that could result in a suspension.
“Just because you can’t see the police doesn’t mean that we’re not there,” says Sergeant McLaughlin. “RCMP Air Services plays a crucial role in all kinds of police files, and next time you see a helicopter overhead, consider slowing down.”
Contacts
Media Relations Officer
BC Highway Patrol
bchp_media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
778-290-5844