Dozens charged after November street race in which participants blocked traffic on Hwy. 427, police say

A number of vehicles impounded as part of an investigation into illegal street racing in Peel Region are shown. (Peel Regional Police)

Police have arrested and charged 31 people after hundreds of drivers gathered in Peel Region to allegedly race their vehicles over a two-day period.

Dubbed Project Speedbump, the investigation was launched by Peel Regional Police’s (PRP) Road Safety Services Safer Roads Team after it identified several drivers who participated in these unsanctioned events.

• Download our app to get alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

Police said that on Nov. 18, 2023, they monitored a group of 150 to 200 motorists who set up to race their vehicles at multiple locations throughout Peel Region.

In some cases the groups had up to 150 vehicles, media officer Const. Richard Chin said in a video posted online.

At that time, PRP said that they identified several drivers who had allegedly committed various dangerous driving offences.

The following day, on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023, police said that many of the same street racers returned to the area to race and set up races on American Drive in Mississauga.

Investigators noted that their “dangerous driving behaviour” resulted in a collision involving a Corvette and a BMW.

The driver of the Corvette, a 21-year-old man from Markham, was subsequently charged with numerous driving offences, including one count each of dangerous operation and public mischief for providing a false statement as well as three counts of race a motor vehicle.

Police said that prior to the crash, the driver of the BMW was seen street racing. The motorist, a 19-year-old man from Toronto, was charged with several driving offences, including dangerous operation and two counts of race a motor vehicle.

The drivers then left from that location and set up to race on Highway 427 North at Finch Ave West, police said.

“The vehicles proceeded to park along all the live lanes of the highway and blocked all traffic for over 25 minutes. The occupants of these vehicles left to spectate the races on the highway,” police said in a news release.

The force’s street racing team was also able to identify and arrest some of those drivers.

In the end, Project Speedbump resulted in 31 arrests, 53 Criminal Code charges, and 69 Highway Traffic Act charges, including dangerous operation of motor vehicle, racing, stunting, and speeding.

“Dangerous driving behaviours such as those which took place on Nov. 18 and 19, 2023, will be vigorously investigated, and the appropriate charges will be laid. Where authorized, we will seize your car,” Insp. Tim Nagtegaal said in the release.

Chin said that PRP recognizes the “extreme danger that street racing poses to our community” and is working to address it.

Project Speedbump is part of a larger, ongoing multi-jurisdictional enforcement initiative called Project E.R.A.S.E. (Eliminating Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere), which aims to eliminate dangerous driving behaviour on streets in Peel Region.