WARMINGTON: Peel cop shows mercy to biker going ‘close to 100’ mph

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This motorcyclist who didn’t get a ticket might want to buy one for the lottery.

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This was his lucky day.

Police said he was travelling almost “100 miles per hour” (160 km/h) in a residential area where typically the limit is 60 km/h.

The driver said he was on an “American” bike that tracked speed in miles per hour instead of kilometres. He also admitted to going through a stop sign.

He didn’t run into anything, die or kill somebody. But he sure could have.

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Even though there was a truckload of potential tickets and charges, he got off with a lecture and warning — and a pat on the back.

All of this happened in Peel Region near Winston Churchill Blvd. this week when a Peel cop caught up to this high-flying cyclist.

“You almost made it, eh,” the unidentified officer said to the young man in video footage of the incident.

“Ah, I ran that stop sign,” the kid admitted.

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Oh man, break out the cheque book, get ready for the tow truck and prepare for a lawyer’s retainer. This guy looked like he was cooked.

And deservedly so.

But the speed Gods must have been smiling down on him. The officer let him know he was “close to 100 for sure” but also said “I am not going to bust your balls on it.”

He let him off the hook.

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Encouraging him to “get home in one piece,” he told the kid of a recent accident in which a guy ended up running into a car and “I had to bring his femur to the hospital” so “I don’t want that to happen to you.”

The officer said he had to “go somewhere else” so he patted the young man on the back and told him to be more careful next time.

Wow. Count your blessings, kid. Even Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland didn’t get that kind of blind eye when she was caught speeding and fined $273 in Alberta last summer.

The kid said he learned his lesson. When someone on scene asked the young man what happened he said “I was speeding but he was a nice cop.”

Nice cop, but should he have thrown the book at this guy? You be the judge.

When contacted about it, Peel Regional Police said the incident was handled appropriately.

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“Based on the interaction, looks like the officer exercised his discretion and proceeded by way of educating the rider as opposed to laying any charges,” said Const. Nikhil Chakravarthy of Public Affairs. “From the video, the officer stopped the rider of the motorcycle for what sounds like two Highway Traffic Act offences; speeding and failing to stop at a stop sign.”

Not this time. With the officer heading to another call of a higher priority, he may have done the best he could do with the time he had. Giving the motorcycle rider a pass, hoping he learns from it and getting to the next call may have been his only option.

To me, it’s a reminder that police officers are human and sometimes they have to make a tough call in the moment. With no way of telling exactly the speed the kid was going and what the more urgent call was, it’s probably one of those times where the cop should be given the same break he gave the guy on the two-wheeler.

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But there will be debate on this one, no question. Whatever way you lean on this one, it’s also another reminder that whatever is going on out there, you are probably being videoed by somebody.

Whatever the reason, this kid got the break of a lifetime and might want to ensure he takes advantage of it. There may be tickets if it happens again. And maybe a funeral too.

Next time he might not be so lucky. Same goes for the public out there in his path.

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