Calgary police say a dashcam video showing a vehicle driving on busy Deerfoot Trail at excessive speeds it not only shocking, but selfish, as the driver was putting the lives of others at risk.
The video, captured on April 22, shows a silver Mercedes sedan speeding past the vehicle with the dashcam, weaving in and out of traffic as it continues along the three-lane highway through the city.
Police estimate the person was driving at speeds of 170 to 200 km/h — well above the posted 110 km/h limit along that stretch of Deerfoot.
“It was abhorrent,” Acting Sgt. Dan Rogers said. “As a police officer, I was shocked and appalled to see that sort of driving however it doesn’t surprise me, unfortunately.
“Aggressive driving like that is kind of a factor we come across in the big city.”
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Rogers said at speeds like that, a vehicle is “travelling two football fields in just over a second,” and said drivers can’t react to traffic or navigate properly. He called the behaviour “selfish” adding, “that’s how people get killed.”
“At that speed, you will not survive a collision, there’s no doubt about it,” he said. “That Mercedes, if it had been involved in a collision, the driver would not survive and most likely, whoever he collided with wouldn’t survive either.”
Calgary police have yet to open an official investigation into the video. Rogers said they will be checking to see if there were any complaints filed. He also said they need a licence plate number and good vehicle description.
WATCH: Shocked but not surprised: Calgary police react to excessive speed dash cam video
Should the vehicle be identified, Rogers said any potential charges would be laid against the registered owner of the vehicle, as there’s no way to prove who was actually behind the wheel at the time of the incident. An infraction for going 50 km/h over the speed limit comes with a fine averaging $1,000 and a 90-day licence suspension.
Rogers said he sees excessive speeding regularly, adding that about once a month he writes a ticket for someone driving 50 km/h over the speed limit on Deerfoot and Stoney trails.
“We share the road; we don’t own the road,” he said.
“When somebody takes an action like that into their own hands, it’s irresponsible and quite honestly, I don’t know if they should have a driver’s licence.”
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