Regina police say plane used to catch speeding motorcyclists

Police have charged two motorcyclists with dangerous driving after weekend speeding incidents, with one driver alleged to have been traveling more than 200 kilometres per hour on Ring Road.

According to a release from Regina police, one incident happened around 7:45 p.m. on Fri, May 1. A group of motorcycles on the road in the area of Albert Street and Gordon Road were seen without license plates by patrol officers.

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Officers alerted Air 1, the police plane, and began to track them from the sky. “At one point, officers in Air 1 observed one of the motorcycles travelling approximately 100 km/h past Candy Cane Park, a 40 km/h zone. The area was filled with families and others enjoying the park,” the release stated.

“The area was filled with families and others enjoying the park.”

Officers on the ground received updates as the plane continued to track the motorcyclists, until a member of the police’s canine unit put a traffic stop in place near Lakeshore Drive, which stopped the motorcycle drivers.

“Officers determined which driver had been driving dangerously and the rest of the group was released,” according to the statement from police.

A 26-year-old has been charged with operating a conveyance dangerous to the public and breach of a conditional sentence order. His motorcycle has been seized and impounded for 30 days.

The man made his first appearance on the charges on May 4.

On Sat, May 2, officers in an unmarked police vehicle observed a motorcycle without a license plate near Parliament and Albert Street around 8:40 p.m.

The driver was speeding at around 140 km.h on Albert Street, prompting officers to alert Air 1 and follow the driver from above.

On the ground, patrol officers tried to stop the driver with a traffic stop near the Wascana Parkway Exit at Ring Road, but the driver did not stop. Instead, they sped up and exited onto Ring Road, “where Air 1 observed it travelling well over 200 km/h, weaving in and out of traffic.”

The motorcyclist reportedly drove to the east end of the city, then back south into the area of Orchard Crescent and Dufferin Avenue. Air 1 alerted officers who responded to the area, with several units turning on emergency lights to try to stop the driver.

The driver did not stop and left Regina, heading west on Highway 1 before turning around and coming back to the city.

“Air 1 observed him driving down walking paths as he made his way to a residence on Logan Crescent. Officers arrived at the address moments later and took the male into custody without further incident,” police said.

The man, a 22-year-old, is charged with operating a conveyance dangerous to the public and flight from a peace officer.

He will appear in Regina Provincial Court for the first time on June 11.