Professional driver caught speeding 201 km/h east of Edmonton in dark, snowy conditions

A driver was caught by an Alberta sheriff going nearly double the speed limit on a dark, cold, snowy night last week east of Edmonton.

A sheriff was conducting a routine patrol around 9:15 p.m. on Feb. 11, when he spotted the driver of a Honda Civic going 201 km/h on Highway 16 eastbound near Mundare.

“Travelling at over 200 km/h would be unsafe in ideal conditions— but it was dark, with strong winds, blowing snow, icy roads and temperatures hovering near -40 C,” a post by Alberta Sheriffs on Facebook said.

Sheriffs said the driver was exceeding the posted speed limit of 110 km/h by more than 90 km/h.

“Speeds like these are completely unacceptable in good driving conditions, with speed being a contributor in nearly a quarter of all fatal collisions,” Insp. John Zee of the Sheriff Highway Patrol said.

“Also concerning is this driver held a Class 1 commercial driver’s licence, and is considered a professional driver.”

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Drivers caught speeding by more than 50 km/h receive an automatic court summons in Alberta.

The maximum penalty upon conviction is a $2,000 fine, or six months in jail — or both. The conviction also includes six demerit points and the court also has an option to suspend the offender’s licence.

Demerits remain on a driver’s license record for two years from the date of conviction. Drivers who rack up 15 demerits or more within a two-year period automatically have their licence suspended for one month. Repeat offences result in increased suspensions.

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For graduated driver’s licence (GDL) holders, the threshold for losing a licence is eight demerits in two years.

The driver, who sheriffs said lives in Lloydminster, received a court summons and is scheduled to appear in Fort Saskatchewan provincial court on March 25. His name was not released.

Alberta sheriffs are a branch of provincial law enforcement and provide a wide range of services, including traffic patrol on Alberta roadways.