Driver clocked going 50 km/h over the speed limit amid dense fog in Merritt

A driver was fined hundreds of dollars after being caught excessively speeding in dense fog near Merritt last month.

BC Highway Patrol clocked a dark Ford F-350 pickup going 166 km/h in a 110 km/h zone on a stretch of Highway 97C amid fog, rain and wet snow on Oct. 25. Video provided by BC Highway Patrol in a news release issued Tuesday (Nov. 10) morning shows the truck had its hazard lights on.

Police also say records showed the truck had not been inspected for mechanical modifications and defects after a prior Notice and Order in August 2026.

The 28-year-old driver from Abbotsford was fined $598 for failing to comply with an order and $368 for excessive speeding, meaning going 41 to 60 km/h over the posted speed limit. The truck was also impounded for seven days and had its insurance suspended until all its mechanical defects are fixed and inspected.

In total, Highway Patrol estimates costs for the driver at more than $4,000 when accounting for fines, repairs and at least three years of high-risk driver premiums and escalating insurance.

“We ask all drivers to understand that posted speed limits are created for ideal, dry, clear, daytime conditions,” Supt. Lori Orstad states. “Safe driving always starts with staying sober and alert, but you also need to slow down for poor weather, darkness, or heavy traffic – exactly the sort of conditions we see more in fall and winter.”

Pedestrians are also recommended to put their phones away and be alert, wear bright clothing with reflective piping and obey traffic lights and crosswalk rules amid poor weather.

Speeding tickets slow down

Despite the truck driver near Merritt, BC Highway Patrol noted a decrease of about 1,200 speeding tickets in October year-over-year.

During the annual Drive Relative to Conditions campaign in October 2026, Highway Patrol officers issued 6,695 speeding tickets, down from 7,888 during the same month in 2025.

The year-over-year drop was also felt in the Kamloops area. Highway Patrol says 1,376 speeding tickets were issued in the Central B.C. region, which includes Clearwater, Kamloops, Kelowna and Merritt, in October 2026. It’s down from 1,443 tickets issued in the region in October 2025.

However, Highway Patrol says a drop in staffing levels appears to be one of the reasons for the year-over-year drop in tickets.