A Nanaimo driver found himself without wheels after police impounded his SUV for spinning doughnuts in a snowy shopping mall parking lot.
According to an RCMP press release, the incident happened in the Nanaimo North Town Centre parking lot at about 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 3. Police received reports about excessive noise and vehicles doing doughnuts and burn-outs.
An officer approached and observed that an off-road SUV with two occupants was being driven erratically. The officer also recognized the suspect driver, who had been given a verbal warning for similar encounter earlier that day.
“In some cases, verbal warnings can be an effective deterrent,” said reserve Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson, in the release. “However, in this case it didn’t seem to have any impact on the individual nor his driving habits.”
The 18-year old driver was issued a violation ticket for $368. The infraction also carries six demerit points and his vehicle was towed to be impounded for seven days.