The OPP have seized 5 motorcycles and laid 35 criminal charges against 10 riders allegedly involved in a mob that stopped traffic on highways from Toronto to Burlington last month.
Last summer the OPP started getting concerned about the motorcycle mob phenomenon, especially after a rider died during one incident. So this summer they started project Saddle, to crack down on what police say are organised groups of motorcyclists who plan these excursions to take over the highways. Police say there have been several examples, but the most memorable this summer was August 6th, when a motorcycle mob shut down highways around the GTA.
“The danger that these riders presented to themselves, and the unsuspecting drivers that they distracted, cut off, or when they totally stopped in a live lane, was beyond belief. These stunts that self-servingly fueled their egos needed to be stopped before someone was killed or maimed.” Supt. Alison Jevons.
Those fuelled egos, in the end, helped police make arrests.
“Many of these videos were captured and uploaded to the internet as entertainment. We thank the participants for this evidence.”
A lot of these riders were surprised they were identified. They had taken precautions, like blacking out their licence plates and wearing helmets.
Police say there are a lot of these motorcycle mobs cropping up all over North America but OPP believe this was the first concerted effort to crack down on them. The 10 peope charged range in age from early 20s to late 40s, they are from the GTA, seven of them have appeared in court, three of them are still wanted.
