Street-racing driver flees from cops in Mississauga; car later impounded

The driver of a car allegedly involved in street racing earlier this week at a Mississauga hot spot for such illegal activity has been charged with fleeing from police and several other offences.

Peel Regional Police said in a post to social media on Friday that a vehicle taking park in a street race at Superior and Edwards boulevards, near Hurontario Street and Courtneypark Drive East, quickly fled from police after being spotted.

A short time later, according to police, they located the driver and laid charges that include dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, flight from police, race a motor vehicle, use of unauthorized plates and operating a motor vehicle without insurance.

In addition, the person had their driver’s licence suspended for 30 days and the car was impounded for two weeks.

Illegal street racing has been a growing problem in Mississauga, Brampton and throughout southern Ontario in recent years, police have said on numerous occasions.

Straightaways with no stop signs or traffic signals, such as shown here on Edwards Boulevard in Mississauga, are attractive spots for illegal street racers to do their thing.

Several dozen people commented on the police post to X (formerly Twitter), the vast majority insisting that penalties for street racing and other dangerous driving behaviour aren’t nearly tough enough and essentially amount to a “slap on the wrist.”

“There should be stronger punishments for these dangerous acts. Our roads are getting increasingly dangerous because of drivers like these,” one person commented.

“Sell the car and use proceeds for charity/police,” another wrote.

Yet another commenter wrote that a 30-day licence suspension isn’t nearly long enough.

“…should be banned for entire life and should be given community service for managing traffic in downtown,” they wrote.

One person who responded to the post suggested the vehicle should be permanently taken away as punishment for fleeing from police.

In launching the annual collaborative road safety campaign Project ERASE (Eliminating Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere) back in May, police in Mississauga, Brampton, Durham, Toronto and other parts of the GTA urged the public to help them get dangerous street racers and stunt drivers off the roads.

They said the illegal behaviours have become both more prevalent and more of a threat to everyone’s safety.

“Stunt driving and street racing are among the most significant public safety concerns (we face),” Peel police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said at the time, adding the dangerous activity knows no borders.

“(Offenders) move freely throughout neighbourhoods (in our communities) without concern for public safety…let me be clear: We have a zero tolerance for this behaviour, so if members of the public see numerous vehicles gathering to race or you see racing in progress (in Peel), call our Road Safety (division) at 905-453-2121, ext. 3750, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.”

Project ERASE, which continues through November, involves police stepping up their efforts to clamp down on stunt driving, street racing and other dangerous activity on the roads.

Stunt driving is defined as vehicles travelling at:

• 50 km/h or more over the speed limit where the posted limit is above 80 km/h
• 40 km/h or more over where the limit is 80 km/h or less
• a speed of 150 km/h or more on any road or highway

Street racing in Mississauga and Brampton poses a significant danger to the public, police say.

Typically, groups of street racers show up in large numbers to race in industrial areas in Peel and across the GTA late Friday and Saturday nights from about May to the end of October, police say.

Of particular concern to Peel police the past year or so has been a large group of street racers and stunt drivers taking part in the illegal activity at Westwood Square shopping mall in the Malton area of Mississauga.

Map shows area of Edwards and Superior boulevards in Mississauga where a car involved in street racing fled from police earlier this week.