$1,400 fine for 243 km/h speeder
By PETE FISHER, QMI AGENCY
Mark Volante, charged with traveling 243 kph walks into court in Cobourg, Ont., on October 9, 2009. (QMI, file)
PORT HOPE, Ont. -- A Milton, Ont. driver was fined $1,394 and hit with six demerit points and a seven-day licence suspension for exceeding the speed limit on Hwy. 401 by 143 km/h.
Police clocked Mark Raymond Volante, 29, speeding at 243 km/h while the mechanic was riding his motorcycle on Hwy. 401 in the Port Hope area.
Len Smart, a representative for Volante, who did not show up for the proceedings, entered a plea of guilty in a Port Hope court on behalf of his client to a charge of speeding. "He's obviously made a huge error in judgement," said Smart, owner of OTT Legal Services.
Volante was initially charged with the more serious offence of stunt driving. However, prosecutor Andrew Fordham said he didn't pursue the stunt driving charge because of a recent provincial court ruling which found the law unconstitutional.
A motorist convicted of stunt driving could be fined $10,000 and sentenced to 15 days in jail.
Fordham said OPP Sgt. Norm Shaw spotted Volante speeding from a police aircraft, near Wesleyville. Traffic came to a stop after the motorcycle was pulled over.
OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino, a strong supporter of Ontario's stunt driving law, said in an e-mail: "I am disappointed that the sentence did not also include a psychiatric assessment before the individual is allowed the privilege of driving in Ontario."
By PETE FISHER, QMI AGENCY
Mark Volante, charged with traveling 243 kph walks into court in Cobourg, Ont., on October 9, 2009. (QMI, file)
PORT HOPE, Ont. -- A Milton, Ont. driver was fined $1,394 and hit with six demerit points and a seven-day licence suspension for exceeding the speed limit on Hwy. 401 by 143 km/h.
Police clocked Mark Raymond Volante, 29, speeding at 243 km/h while the mechanic was riding his motorcycle on Hwy. 401 in the Port Hope area.
Len Smart, a representative for Volante, who did not show up for the proceedings, entered a plea of guilty in a Port Hope court on behalf of his client to a charge of speeding. "He's obviously made a huge error in judgement," said Smart, owner of OTT Legal Services.
Volante was initially charged with the more serious offence of stunt driving. However, prosecutor Andrew Fordham said he didn't pursue the stunt driving charge because of a recent provincial court ruling which found the law unconstitutional.
A motorist convicted of stunt driving could be fined $10,000 and sentenced to 15 days in jail.
Fordham said OPP Sgt. Norm Shaw spotted Volante speeding from a police aircraft, near Wesleyville. Traffic came to a stop after the motorcycle was pulled over.
OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino, a strong supporter of Ontario's stunt driving law, said in an e-mail: "I am disappointed that the sentence did not also include a psychiatric assessment before the individual is allowed the privilege of driving in Ontario."
