Canada - ~Air 1 footage shows Hells Angels motorcyclists driving dangerously

OFF THE WIRE
BY: KIM BOLAN
Source: vancouversun.com

METRO VANCOUVER -- RCMP have seized the Harleys of two full-patch Hells Angels after they allegedly raced across the Lower Mainland at speeds of up to 160 kilometres an hour on their way to the funeral of slain teen Laura Szendrei.
The two men were wearing their deathhead patches when they whipped past an unmarked police car on Highway 1 near 200th Street in Langley close to noon Wednesday.
"Police were attempting to pace the bikes to determine speed but were unable to keep up with the motorcyclists as they rode side-by-side dangerously at extreme speeds from lane to lane and passing on shoulders," Sgt. Peter Thiessen said Friday.
The RCMP's Air 1 helicopter was nearby and filmed the bikers as they continued along the Trans-Canada, eventually exiting on First Avenue in Vancouver.
The video shows them passing cars all along the highway, often riding in tandem.
The leather-wearing twosome was stopped by Burnaby RCMP near the clubhouse of the elite Nomad Chapter of the Hells Angels on Grant Street just east of Boundary.
Thiessen said one of the drivers complied with police when they told him he had been speeding and that they were seizing his Harley for a week under the new excessive speed legislation. He was presented with violation tickets for excessive speed and riding in tandem.
Thiessen said the other biker ignored police and disappeared into a crowd of Hells Angels in full colours on the street in front of the clubhouse.
"He didn't heed to the police being there and he just walked right away," Thiessen said.
But police ran the plate and found the registered owner close by.
"He denied being the driver so he was charged under the registered owner legislation of the Motor Vehicle Act," Thiessen said.
The large gathering of bikers can be seen on the helicopter surveillance video.
Thiessen said he couldn't comment on why the Hells Angels was congregating outside the Nomads clubhouse just after noon Wednesday. But the Sun has learned they were preparing to ride in formation to the funeral of Szendrei, the 15-year-old girl beaten to death in North Delta Sept. 25.
Delta police confirmed Thursday that Hells Angels were at the funeral because some bikers are friends with the teen's father.
"We were aware that there were members of the Hells Angels at this funeral. They were there to pay tribute to a friend whose daughter was tragically taken from him," Sgt. Sharlene Brooks said.
The two bikers ticketed in Wednesday's police incident were 35-year-old Gaston Methot and Mike Robatzek, a 40-year-old Hells Angel from the Vancouver Chapter.
Thiessen said the bikers were at times doing twice the legal limit in a construction zone.
"There is considerable construction along Highway 1 and the public needs to be aware of construction site speed limits, for their own safety and the safety of those working at these sites," Thiessen said. "For those who ignore those speed limits, Air 1 continues to be a valuable tool for police in the Lower Mainland, allowing us to track drivers without putting the public at further risk."
Meanwhile, Clearwater RCMP also seized a Lower Mainland man's vehicle under the new law as he drove to Jasper with his visiting British parents.
Police said the man cruised through Clearwater in a rental car and was caught on radar going 158 kilometers per hour in a 100 kilometer zone.
Sgt. Stuart Seib said the tourists were stranded and had to figure out how they could continue their holiday.

"In their minds, the police had wrecked their holiday. In reality, it was actually the driver of this vehicle that made the decision to risk everyone else's well being by driving in a manner that is not acceptable," Seib said. "Had an animal run out of the ditch or a car pull out of a driveway, the results could have been devastating."
kbolan@vancouversun.com
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