‘I didn’t want my car to burn’: Victoria’s top cop slaps Saanich cigarette tosser with $575 ticket

Drivers on Southern Vancouver Island be warned: Victoria’s top cop always has his eyes on the game, especially during wildfire season.

On Saturday, Victoria Police Chief Const. Del Manak was cruising on Highway 17 near Quadra Street in Saanich shortly after 6 p.m., when the driver in front of him allegedly tossed a lit cigarette out the window.

The careless move turned out to be a costly lesson for the offending motorist, to the tune of a $575 ticket issued by Manak himself.

“575 reasons to not throw your lit cigarette out the car window in front of @vicpdcanada. Happened in front of me on the hwy,” the chief wrote.

When asked why he tossed the cigarette, Manak said the driver replied, “I didn’t want my car to burn” as he pointed to his cup holder in the console.

Manak’s response: “Then don’t smoke in your car.”

The driver’s ticket was issued under the Wildfire Act for dropping, releasing or mishandling a burning substance.

It’s not the first time Manak has cracked down on cigarette-throwing scofflaws.

On Sept. 5, 2018, he caught up with another alleged litterbug on the highway and also detailed the offence in a tweet.

“Can you believe people are still throwing lit cigarettes out their car window? Sorry, but I can’t ignore it when it happens in front of me,” Manak wrote at the time.

In last fall’s encounter, the culprit allegedly told Manak, “I would never do it near grass.”

It’s an excuse that didn’t work for Manak, who ticketed the driver but gave him a break with an $81 fine under the Motor Vehicle Act for depositing litter on a highway, on top of a $138 fine for speeding.

WATCH: (Aired June 8) Surrey residents join war against cigarette butts

1:55 Surrey residents join war against cigarette butts

Manak is no stranger to impromptu policing outside of his jurisdiction.

Earlier this year, he issued a less expensive traffic ticket to a motorcyclist who lost control after an alleged dangerous driving stint in Saanich.

On Jan. 12, Manak posted a photo to Twitter of the $196 infraction with a warning.

“Luckily, he wasn’t injured other than his pride.”

—With files from Simon Little