A motorcycle rider did not appear to notice the police officer right behind him when he decided to pop a wheelie on the Sea to Sky Highway near Furry Creek earlier this month.

On July 18, police noticed the blue Suzuki motorcycle when it was doing 146 km/h in an 80 zone, according to a news release.

“A BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) motorcycle closed to within a few metres of the blue Suzuki to record the temporary licence plate number and to find a safe place for a traffic stop,” the release said.

“However, the blue Suzuki did not have mirrors (as required by law), and the rider did not see police.”

(RCMPTV via YouTube Video)

The rider then started doing the stunt wheelie and then began weaving through traffic, the BCHP said.

“Once the motorcyclist realized that he was being pulled over by police, he was fully cooperative. He was not trying to flee; he was simply unaware that he was being watched,” said Sgt. Michael McLaughlin.

“By then it was too late. He’d already accumulated too many offences to keep his motorcycle.”

The rider, a 20-year-old man from Richmond, had just finished serving a prior driving prohibition.

He has received tickets for excessive speed and driving without due care and attention, a seven-day impound, and at least three years of high-risk driver premiums, the BCHP says.

McLaughlin says speeding and dangerous driving are serious concerns on the Sea to Sky.

“We will do everything we can to keep drivers safe, and that means delivering real legal consequences,” he said.

“Every major crash has the potential to shut this highway down. We need people to slow down, drive responsibly, and make the highway safe.”