Need for Speed Lands Canadian Motorcyclist in Trouble
Published at
File photo. John Foxx/Thinkstock(VANCOUVER ISLAND, British Columbia) — Randy George Scott apparently has a passion for speed. But he’s less adept in modesty.
Police in Canada say the 25-year old motorcyclist is wanted for speeding after a video surfaced on the internet showing him reaching speeds upward of 186 miles per hour.
Police in Vancouver Island in British Columbia say Scott mounted a camera on his motorcycle and then filmed himself speeding through several towns in Canada’s westernmost province — swerving and weaving through traffic at top speeds. He then posted video of the joyride on the internet where it’s gone viral with more than 800,000 views.
A warrant has now been issued for Scott’s arrest, but he is not yet in custody, according to police there.
“Hopefully Mr. Scott will do the right thing and turn himself in,” says Sgt. Dean Jantzen, who called video clip shocking. “What if he hit someone?” says Jantzen. “What if he wiped it out on his own? It’s a very scary piece of video.”
Police began searching for a suspect in April after the video was posted on YouTube. Initially, authorities say they had a good idea of who the driver was, but they lacked the evidence to bring charges. Now after speaking with three key witnesses and receiving a number of public tips when the video went viral, police said they felt they had enough evidence to charge Scott.
“Police across the region” are familiar with Scott, says Sgt. Jantzen, who says the driver of the bike was unlicensed.
Scott had more than 20 previous convictions in traffic court for a variety of offenses, say police. They eventually seized a blue Yamaha R1 bike that matched the motorcycle in the video. The bike is now property of the province, CTV reports.
The bike’s owner, who is not Scott, was issued a number of tickets totaling close to USD $1,500.
The video was shot from a camera mounted on the bike and posted online by someone using the name “Joe Blow.” In it, the motorcyclist blows past cars and trucks as the bike weaves between vehicles on a Vancouver Island highway.
At the time police said they expected to bring several charges once the driver was identified.
“There was a lot of shock and outrage associated with this video,” said Jantzen.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio