Driver caught driving at 160 km/h in B.C. told police he was ‘trying to avoid elk’

VANCOUVER — A man from Alberta has had his Mercedes SUV impounded for a week after being caught going 160 kilometres an hour on a British Columbia highway, ostensibly in an effort to “avoid elk.”

The impound happened on Dec. 30 in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 3/95 near Moyie, a village in southeastern B.C. about 177 kilometres from the Alberta boundary.

The BC Highway Patrol says an officer on the highway clocked the SUV going 160 kilometres per hour and pulled the vehicle over.

Police say when asked if the driver has any reason for going so fast, he told police that he was “trying to avoid elk.”

The driver was subsequently fined $483 for excessive speed on top of the vehicle impound, as well as receiving high-risk driver premiums if he were to insure any vehicles in B.C. in the future.

Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with the BC Highway Patrol says in a statement that the maximum speed of a North American elk is about 70 kilometres per hour.

“If you feel the need to get away, you still have plenty of room to spare in a 100 km/h zone,” McLaughlin says, adding that hitting an elk at 160 kilometres an hour would almost certainly result in serious harm for both the driver and the animal.

“Luckily, no elk were harmed during this incident,” he says.

The Highway Patrol says motorists should better plan their trips and consider beginning their trips slightly earlier — while obeying the local speed limit — to avoid the cost and hassles of an impound if they were to be caught speeding.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2026.

The Canadian Press