It wasn't a bird and it wasn't a plane. What flew through the air Tuesday afternoon in rural Saanich was a car B次元官网网址� a blue Geo, to be exact B次元官网网址� that became airborne while street racing.
Shortly after noon, Saanich police were called to the 300-block of Conway Rd. near Camosun College's Interurban campus for a report of two street racers.
"A red Honda and a blue Geo were racing on the winding, narrow, rural road at speeds of 70-80 km/h," wrote Const. Mike Bainbridge, with Saanich's traffic safety unit. That stretch of road has a recommended speed of 10 km/h.
The Geo hit the crest in the road, launching it a metre in the air, and sending it crashing on the ground, breaking the engine mounts and nearly hitting a car parked nearby.
"The driver abandoned his vehicle nearby and removed the licence plates in an attempt to avoid detection," Bainbridge wrote. The driver of the Honda picked up the Geo driver and they fled the neighbourhood.
Police received six reports of the crash from area residents. The red Honda was located at the nearby college, along with both drivers.
Both men carried novice licences and have driving histories known to police. "The Geo has been reported to police on several previous occasions as a dangerous driver, and the driver of the Honda has previously been suspended from driving twice," Bainbridge wrote.
The department's collision reconstruction team determined the Geo was travelling at least 87 km/h when it hit the crest.
Both the Geo and the Honda were impounded for seven days.
The driver of the Geo was charged with driving without due care and attention, which comes with a $368 fine. The Honda driver was issued a $196 dine for driving without consideration for safety of others.
kslavin@saanichnews.com
