3 drivers net hefty fines after RCMP catch them going over 150 km/h

The number of cars on the road has gone down — but the speed of some has skyrocketed.

Drivers caught speeding over 150 km/h were handed some massive fines on Friday.

A 50-year-old Winnipeg man on a motorcycle was spotted pulling away from a large group of motorcycles driving through the rural municipality of St. Andrews, RCMP said in a news release Thursday.

He was clocked going as fast as 178 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, police said. 

He was given a $1,333 fine for speeding and a $672 dangerous driving ticket. He also was given a serious offence notice and now will have his licence reviewed by Manitoba Public Insurance, the news release says. 

About an hour later, the same officer who stopped the motorcycle rider spotted a driver going 150 km/h along the same highway near the RM of St. Andrews.

That time, a 17-year-old was fined $966 and also faces a review of her licence. 

That same evening, just after 8 p.m., RCMP in Portage la Prairie saw a vehicle going as fast as 177 km/h in a 110 km/h zone along Highway 1. 

The 28-year-old driver told police he was tired and in a rush to get to the store in time to get dog food. 

He was fined $927 for speeding and issued a notice for a licence review. 

RCMP remind drivers that even though there may be less traffic because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they still need to follow the speed limit. 

"Police continue to watch for dangerous and reckless driving on the province's roadways," RCMP said in the news release.