Videos show reckless driving, including racing, with a person riding on the hood of a speeding SUV: Winnipeg police

Winnipeg police issued 65 tickets in one evening during a crackdown on dangerous driving after videos captured examples of reckless behavior such as street racing and a person sitting on the hood of a speeding vehicle, police said.

The police's Western District Community Support Unit began pursuing a group of car enthusiasts in the spring – as part of an investigation called “Project Stunt Driving” – who were seen driving dangerously, said Insp. Max Waddell said at a Wednesday Press conference.

Between mid-May and Sept. 6, police received 37 calls reporting vehicle tires rattling and squealing, as well as dangerous driving in large parking lots in central and southwest Winnipeg, as well as the city's northern border areas, Waddell said.

“Investigators obtained video of a motorcycle traveling at 115 mph in a 30 mph zone along the Southwest Rapid Transit corridor, passing civilians waiting for a bus,” said he and pointed out that traffic other than public transport was not permitted in this corridor.

Following the complaints, Winnipeg police, with assistance from RCMP, set up a checkpoint on the night of September 7 near a location on Goldenrod Drive in the rural community of Rosser, northwest of the city limits.

According to Waddell, 88 vehicles were gathered there, many of which were committing traffic violations on the highway that were caught on video.

Police issued 65 tickets that evening for violations of the Highway Code and Vehicle Equipment and Safety Inspection Regulations, including driving without a license or registration, making unnecessary noise or smoke, failing to display a license plate, driving without a license and driving with obstructed visibility.

“Six of us were charged with negligent driving – one of the most serious offenses that the Road Traffic Act can provide for,” said Waddell.

Five drivers received charges for serious offenses.

“Someone will be seriously injured and hopefully not lose their life,” he said. “We hope this enforcement initiative serves as a reminder to those who engage in reckless driving behavior that they will be held accountable.”

There have been 22 fatal vehicle accidents so far this year – a number that is “way too high,” Waddell said. He could not confirm whether any of these fatal collisions were related to stunt driving.

120 km/h in the 50 zone

Several videos shown during the press conference showed other examples of people driving dangerously, including one – time-stamped August 18 – in which a person rides on the hood of an SUV as it travels at 120 km/h in a 50 zone said Waddell.

Other videos showed three people intentionally taunting and circling a security guards vehicle in a parking lot to prevent the worker from doing his job, Waddell said. Another video showed a truck doing donuts at another location, surrounded by onlookers, he said.

“This vehicle is a very heavy vehicle and if at any point it had hit any debris or imperfections in the concrete, it could have been thrown directly into the people who were just standing there,” Waddell said.

He said no one shown in the videos has been charged because police have not identified them.

Police are working closely with parking lot owners to review video surveillance to “prevent this unwanted behavior,” he said.

Most incidents occurred between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., “adding to the frustration of Winnipeg residents due to excessive noise and safety concerns,” Waddell said.

There has been a spate of noise complaints on weekends, including on Sunday's cruise night in Winnipeg, where a small group of car enthusiasts aged 16 to 49 were involved in dangerous driving, Waddell said.

Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) said residents in his community called police daily to report incidents of dangerous driving.

“It’s not just cruise night-goers,” Duncan said at the news conference.

“It's the idiots who sit in the parking lots along Portage Avenue, revving their engines, speeding down Portage Avenue, who only care about their cars and themselves. These people are making life difficult for the people of Winnipeg.” in the West End.

Waddell said Project Stunt Driving's investigation has concluded as most of the specialty cars are now in storage for the winter, but police will take action if necessary.