West Vancouver – when the driver of a 2018 BMW 440i sedan thought he’d impress his friends by “drifting” through a hairpin turn on Cypress Bowl Road yesterday, he likely didn’t expect that it would result in a trip to the hospital and a $368.00 fine.

On March 10, at 3:00 pm, officers were called to the scene of a motor vehicle collision in the 3800 blk of Cypress Bowl Rd, just West of the District of West Vancouver Works Yard. 

Officers located a 2018 BMW 440i sedan and Mercedes GLC300 SUV, both with extensive damage.

Officers identified three people involved, who were all occupants of the BMW. It was determined that the driver of the BMW and his friends had been travelling Westbound on Cypress Bowl Rd. The driver, a 20-year-old man, had accelerated to estimated speeds of 120-140 km/hr (posted 60 km/hr zone) and had attempted to “drift” through a hairpin turn. 

“Drifting” is the activity of steering an automobile so that it makes a controlled skid sideways through a turn with the front wheels pointed in a direction opposite to that of the turn.

The driver immediately lost control and skidded across oncoming lanes of traffic, striking a rock face, before colliding with a parked and unoccupied Mercedes SUV. 

“The actions taken by this driver not only put themselves at risk, but others on the road,” says Cst. Kevin Goodmurphy. “Stunt driving belongs at a sanctioned event, on a closed track, not on our public roads.”

Witnesses called EHS, and the driver and two passengers were later transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Damage is estimated at over $50,000.00. 

The driver, a class 7 learner, was issued a $368.00 violation ticket for driving without due care and attention.