At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013, STAT officers were conducting moving mode radar enforcement in an unmarked police vehicle on Anthony Henday Drive southbound approaching 87 Avenue. A Hyundai car and an unidentified white car were observed travelling at a high rate of speed making erratic maneuvers across lanes of traffic. The two vehicles caught up with and passed the unmarked police vehicle and continued along the Anthony Henday. The Hyundai’s speed was recorded on radar at 163 km/h in a 100 km/h zone.
The Hyundai exited the Anthony Henday eastbound onto 87 Avenue, while the white car continued southbound on Anthony Henday. Police followed closely behind the Hyundai, but were not able to intercept the white car. The Hyundai stopped at a red light next to a GMC truck, and the two vehicles appeared to be revving up and lurching forward for a race. When the light turned green the two vehicles accelerated away at a high speed, and the police activated their emergency equipment and pulled the vehicles over safely in the area of 87 Avenue and 189 Street.
The 32-year-old male driver of the GMC was charged with speeding and stunting under the Traffic Safety Act.
STAT officers discovered that there were four occupants in the Hyundai: a 30-year-old male driver, a 28-year-old female in the passenger seat, as well as two children in the backseat ages eight and nine. That evening, STAT officers charged the 30-year-old driver with speeding 50 km/h over the limit, careless driving, stunting, obscured licence plate, and operating motor vehicle with window tinting under the Traffic Safety Act.
Due to the speeds travelled and the ages of the children inside the car, STAT officers consulted with the EPS Child at Risk Response Team (CARRT) and the Crown Prosecutor’s Office on the file. Based on the circumstances the charges were upgraded, and on Dec. 10, 2013, STAT officers charged the 30-year-old with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle under the Criminal Code of Canada and causing a child to be in need of intervention (x2) under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act.
Fines and demerits increase in proportion to the speed infraction, and double in construction zones. Drivers travelling at excessive speeds can be charged by police with dangerous driving. Once drivers reach 51 km/h over the speed limit, they receive an automatic summons to appear before a judge, who reviews the incident and the driver’s record to determine the penalty.
In October 2013, EPS officers issued 52 mandatory court speeding tickets to drivers for speeding 50 km/h over the posted speed limit. In 2013, approximately 33 mandatory court speeding tickets are issued monthly for speeds over 50 km/h. So far in 2013, EPS members issued 31,308 speeding tickets with 362 requiring a mandatory court appearance.
The EPS Specialized Traffic Apprehension Team (STAT) was rolled out in July 2012 as part of Chief Rod Knecht’s Violence Reduction Strategy. STAT’s enforcement activities target high-risk drivers and help to reduce the number of collisions on Edmonton’s streets. In 2013, STAT traffic enforcement has been responsible for 14,707 tickets, 1,148 warrant executions, 870 arrests, and 945 other criminal charges.