A BC motorcyclist has been fined thousands of dollars after being held responsible in an incident that saw a rider tackle a shopping mall escalator on board a Harley-Davidson in an effort to escape police.
We first told you about the incident in Friday Fudge. The incident happened in the Guildford, BC area on February 20; a motorcyclist riding recklessly refused to stop for police, speeding, running red lights, and eventually launching his bike down an escalator. At the time, Surrey RCMP asked for public help in finding the culprit, and it seems the Mounties have finally gotten their man – or at least, someone they can blame.
Earlier this week, BC police say they identified the motorcycle in the case, handing the owner approximately $13,500 in traffic fines, with tickets for 58 traffic infractions. The tickets include such offenses as failing to stop for police, excessive speeding, disobeying a red light, and having no insurance. Along with the fines, the motorcycle was seized and may be seized under BC’s civil forfeiture law.
The RCMP press release says they were unable to confirm the owner was riding the bike at the time of the incident: “While we were unable to positively identify the driver of the motorcycle, we are still able to hold the registered owner to account in this instance, in accordance with the British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act.”
In British Columbia the registered owner of a motor vehicle is fully responsible for their vehicle at all times. They may elect to offer the police information as to who was driving at the time of an offence and have the driver charged. If they chose not to provide those details, however, there is a provision in the Motor Vehicle Act stating that the registered owner can be charged for any offences that occur.
So, tough luck for this guy if he wasn’t actually guilty. Snitches might get stitches, but if you don’t snitch, you get the fines and have your motorcycle seized.
In Ontario, he would also be looking at a maximum fine
of $5000 for the escalator stunt.
Not to mention, the lawsuits from the property management
people (they are now all large national companies), and the
escalator maintaining company which probably has a minimum
of 40 000 worldwide employees and factories on five continents.
That’d buy a whole lotta lawyers!
The motorcycle was not reported stolen and the registered owner wasn’t fessing up as to who was riding the bike at the time of these infractions. Fines are one thing but this is not why the civil forfeiture law was put in place. Of course, our Supreme Court likes to interpret things their own way.
“The motorcycle, a blue Harley Davidson, believed to be stolen, has since been found at 116 Avenue and Surrey Road, just west of the TransCanada Highway.”
http://www.peacearchnews.com/news/293701661.html
I would guess that if you reported your vehicle stolen and weren’t in possession of it when the coppers found you then you would be in the clear.
How does this not just punish citizens and favor criminals??? ie: vehicle theft