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The OPP gave Gumball 3000 rally drivers something to chew on when they came through the province.
At least one of the ritzy rally vehicles, a 2009 Dodge Charger from California, was impounded by Northumberland OPP for allegedly going 179 km/h along the 100 km/h Hwy. 401.
The same car was stopped hours earlier by the OPP near Marysville for doing more than 140 km/h, police said.
Cops impounded the Charger for seven days and suspended the driver’s licence.
The rally, which started in London, Eng., headed to Toronto Thursday for a pitstop before going to Niagara Falls Friday and then back across the border to the U.S. on the way to New York City.
Several other rally vehicles were stopped and charged with various offences but allowed to continue to Toronto Thursday night.
Traffic Police Sgt. Tim Burrows said officers didn’t have to issue a ticket to any of the Gumballers as they made their way through the city.
Some of the rally drivers did get a good taste of Toronto traffic that kept them tied up from hitting their gas pedals.
Burrows said police had advised organizers the best route to take to Yorkville was Rosedale Valley Rd. but not all drivers were told that and several ended up stuck in traffic for an hour along the Bloor St. boondoggle construction mess.
Drivers were met by the OPP as they crossed from Quebec into Ontario on Thursday. The officers were armed with pamphlets letting them know the rules of the road.
Most of the drivers were easy-going riders, Burrows said.
“For the most part is was no different than we’d see from our own people,” Burrows said.
Several Quebec detachments issued tickets for speeding and a few radar detectors were seized from the rally drivers as they made their way through la belle province. A Ferrari was also stopped because it was outfitted to look like an ambulance.
Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Matthew Murray said 11 Gumball drivers were issued tickets when the rally passed through. Most of the tickets were for speeding and other moving violations.
A driver from Sweden allegedly performed an “unsafe manoeuvre” in the parking lot at the Skylon Tower at Niagara Falls, Niagara Regional Police said.
The Gumballer was driving a 2010 white Porsche 911 GTRS and allegedly performed the stunt close to onlookers in the parking lot.
Hans Tornbom, 43, of Sweden, is charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Police said Tornbom plead guilty to the charge, was fined and has since left Canada to continue the rally |