Things got a little too fast and too furious for a young B.C. driver, who racked up about $50,000 in damage and ended up in hospital after a failed attempt to “drift” a hairpin turn in West Vancouver.
It happened around 3 p.m. Tuesday, at the lowest hairpin turn on Cypress Bowl Road, according to West Vancouver police.
The 20-year-old, who was driving a 2018 BMW 4401 sedan westbound towards the corner at a speed of between 120 and 140 km/h, police said.
He was attempting a stunt maneuver known as “drifting” — essentially exercising a controlled sideways skid around a tight turn, according to police.
“The driver immediately lost control and skidded across oncoming lanes of traffic, striking a rock face, before colliding with a parked and unoccupied Mercedes SUV,” Const. Kevin Goodmurphy said in a media release.
“The actions taken by this driver not only put themselves at risk but others on the road. Stunt driving belongs at a sanctioned event, on a closed track, not on our public roads.”
The driver, who had a class 7 learner’s licence, and two passengers were taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
He was also handed a $368 ticket for driving without due care and attention.