Yesterday at around 11:30am, a Traffic Safety Unit officer and a Saanich Reserve were monitoring traffic on Willis Point road, which leads to Durrance Lake. This area has been well known for vehicles to speed excessively on a regular basis.
Officers observed a vehicle travelling up the hill towards the lake, doing the speed limit at 60kmh. All of a sudden, both officers could hear a pair of motorcycles accelerate dramatically and saw them pull into oncoming traffic to pass the slower vehicle going up the hill.
Both bikes continued to accelerate through the gears up the hill travelling at speeds of approximately 160kmh. The two bikes passed the officers who were on foot and had to jump into their police vehicle. For fear of a possible pursuit, the two bikes were followed by the unmarked police vehicle for some distance. No lights or sirens were used until officers felt they were in a better position to safely pull the bikes over.
One of the bikes was stopped on Willis Point road, but the second sped away. Believing that the two riders were known to each other, the officers asked the rider to call his friend on the cell phone and ask him to return. After a brief conversation the second bike returned to the scene as well.
Given the dramatic speeds, both were charged with excessive speeding contrary to the Motor Vehicle Act. As a result, both vehicles were impounded for 7 days and towed from the scene. Both drivers took immediate responsibility for their driving behaviour at the roadside.
The two bikes were a 2005 black Honda and a 2003 red Honda, driven by a 22 year old male from Victoria and a 25 year old male from Oak Bay.
Willis Point road will continue to be a focus for officers through the summer months.
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