WESTLOCK – A New Brunswick man caught travelling 182 km/h on Highway 2 near Nestow earlier this year faces a massive fine, but no driver’s licence suspension.
In Westlock Provincial Court Dec. 14, agent Dean Marsh entered a guilty plea on behalf of Nicholas Martin Holt, 42, to exceeding the maximum speed limit — Judge Thomas Achtymichuk agreed to a $2,400 fine, which includes the victim-fine surcharge, proposed by Marsh and provincial Crown Shelia Ries but did not include a driver’s licence suspension.
“He’s living with his parents in New Brunswick right now and has gone through a divorce and is a heavy-equipment operator,” Marsh told court while asking for six months to a year for Holt to pay the fine.
While the offence date of Feb. 17, 2022, was only read into the record, Alberta Justice and Solicitor General court checks was able to confirm Holt was caught travelling 182 km/h on Highway 2 near Range Road 250 about 24 kilometres northeast of the Town of Westlock — Westlock RCMP confirmed the ticket was handed out by a Westlock County peace officer. Holt was given until July 31, 2023, to pay the fine or serve 20 days in jail.
In a follow-up interview, Alberta RCMP Traffic – Westlock Unit Commander Sgt. Leigh Drinkwater said that normally a speeding ticket of this magnitude would add six demerits to one’s driving record, while Driver Fitness and Monitoring will be the body that would impose a possible driving suspension.
