Provincial police are warning about the grave dangers of so-called vehicle surfing after a teen was spotted on top of a moving pickup truck in Norfolk County.
Norfolk OPP were called by a concerned citizen who saw a young man standing on the roof of a truck travelling over 80 kilometres per hour on Concession 2 in Townsend on Wednesday.
"This isn't a game, it's real life; people will get hurt and killed if they choose to engage in this kind of activity," said Inspector Joseph Varga, Norfolk County OPP detachment commander. "Every parent needs to be aware of this dangerous activity. They have substantial influence over what their children do, but many parents might be unaware that vehicle surfing is even one of the dangers awaiting their children. Parents need to be aware of the risks of some of the things their teens are doing. They should be addressing these risks with their teens,"
Police are reminding drivers that vehicle surfing is not only an illegal stunt, but is also risky, reckless, and has been known to lead to fatalities. They said anyone caught engaging in this activity will face charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and have their vehicle impounded. Additional charges could also be laid if anyone is hurt while partaking in vehicle surfing.
Even at a low speed, if a vehicle was to hit something it could cause life threatening injuries to those surfing on top of it, police said.
Police are still looking for the vehicle that was involved in Wednesday's incident. The truck is described as a lifted Chevrolet pickup with dark tinted windows.
Youth surfs on roof of pickup truck at 80km/hr. #NorfolkOPP contacted by concerned motorist. #DriveSafe https://t.co/U8KfnMMiKT
— OPP West (@OPP_WR) November 21, 2018
