Novice Vancouver driver nabbed for 149 km/h jaunt through Merritt construction zone

MERRITT, B.C. — BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) has a warning for novice drivers – speeding through a construction zone can carry major consequences.

On Sept. 22 at about 11:10 a.m., a BCHP officer was driving southbound on Highway 5 near the junction with Highway 97C when he noticed an oncoming vehicle in the passing lane.

Radar readings showed the blue Tesla travelling at 149 km/h in a 60 km/h construction zone – nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit.

The driver, a 32-year-old woman from Vancouver classified as a novice driver, was ticketed for excessive speed. She and her passenger were given a ride into Merritt while the Tesla was impounded for seven days.