Snow means slow and slush means don't rush! However, a 26-year-old Bristol's Hope man was doing just the opposite prior to being pulled over this morning, while it was snowing, for traveling 170 km/hr in wet, slushy road conditions.
At approximately 7:25 a.m., officers with RCMP Traffic Services East were patrolling the Trans-Canada Highway conducting traffic enforcement in the area of Salmonier Line and observed a westbound pickup truck traveling at the high rate of speed of 170 km/hr in the poor driving conditions. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was ticketed for excessive speeding. His driver's license was suspended and the truck was seized and impounded.
While officers were dealing with this incident, a vehicle passed by the traffic stop and did not reduce its speed or move over to the available lane, splashing the officer with water and slush as it passed by. Another officer stopped this vehicle and the driver, a 29-year-old Mount Pearl man, was ticketed under the Highway Traffic Act for not following the "Move Over" Law. The ticket comes with a fine of $390.00 and an accumulation of four demerit points.
170 km/h is a dangerous speed no matter what the driving conditions. RCMP Traffic Services reminds motorists of the need to adjust their speeds to changing road conditions and the legal requirement to slow down and move over upon approaching a stopped emergency vehicle.