P.E.I. highway race ends with impounded vehicles, RCMP say

RCMP impounded two cars Monday afternoon after witnessing the vehicles apparently racing at speeds faster than 160 km/hon the Trans-Canada Highway.

The incident happened just east of Charlottetown about 1 p.m. Sgt. Chris Gunn said he saw the cars while on routine patrol.

"The two vehicles were passing a group of five other cars," said Gunn.

"I knew they were going fast, but then I observed the two cars then seemed to stay side by side travelling down the hill."

Gunn said radar in his vehicle clocked the cars at 164 km/h in the 90-kilometre zone. Both vehicles stopped when he lit up his emergency lights.

Men did not know one another

A 19-year-old man from Kings County and a 64-year-old man from Charlottetown were issued tickets with fines of more than $700 each. Their vehicles a 2010 Kia Forte and a 2013 Ford Focus were impounded for 24 hours.

Gunn said the two men told himthey were both overcome with road rage over the other's driving behaviour. He said they did not know each other.

"They'd been involved in following each other for a period of time," Gunn said.

"One car was trying to get ahead of the other car, and the other car didn't want that car to get ahead of him."

The proper response if you see another driverbehaving in an unsafe manner is to call police, Gunn said.

Gunn wanted to remind the public that P.E.I. roads are particularly busy in the summertime, with bicycles and pedestrians in addition to vehicles, and that it is important to remain calm and drive with due care.

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