Camero driver caught speeding down Vancouver sidewalk

Pedestrians jumped out of the way after a red Chevrolet Camero convertible was spotted travelling along the sidewalk near Hornby and Dunsmuir in the city's downtown.

Surveillance video caught the tail end of the incident, showing a brave bystander trying to confront the driver. The car is then seen tearing off into traffic. 

Fortunately nobody was injured or killed. Police say they are looking for the driver but do not have a suspect at this time. 

Anyone with information is being asked to call Vancouver Police at 604-717-9974.

Source: AutoBlog.ca

Volkswagen to buy back emissions cheating vehicles, sources say

Volkswagen is expected to buy back 500,000 vehicles which used a defeat-device to cheat emissions tests.

Quoting unnamed sources, Reuters reports the company is expected to make the announcement official when them meet with a US federal judge later today.

The buyback is expected to involve Volkswagen Clean Diesel vehicles with 2.0L engines sold since 2009. This includes the popular Jetta, Golf, and Audi A3 models. Vehicles with larger 3.0L diesels will not be included.

Volkswagen may also offer to repair affected vehicles if US regulators approve of a proposed fix. Owners will have two years to decide whether they want to sell back their vehicles or get them repaired.

The German automaker admitted last year they had been using a device to falsify diesel emissions tests. The vehicles in question will activate their full emissions control system only if they detect they're plugged into testing equipment. During normal driving, the effectiveness of the control system is greatly reduced. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says this exposed people to potentially harmful pollutants.

Volkswagen is still dealing with 500 civil law suits surrounding the issue. Their compensation fund is expected to top more than $1 billion USD on top of the cost of buying back the vehicles. It is unclear how much each owner might receive.


Source: Reuters

Mitsubishi caught cheating fuel economy tests

Mitsubishi Motors has admitted they cheated efficiency tests to overstate the fuel economy of 625,000 vehicles.

The Japanese automaker's tomfoolery was outted by Nissan, a sales partner in its minicar venture.

According to Bloomberg, Mitsubishi modified the weight of cars during testing, as well as used inaccurate tire and air resistance numbers in computer models.

These tests overstated fuel economy between 5 and 10 percent.

Most of the effected vehicles are Kei style cars exclusive to the Japanese market.

Mitsubishi has halted sales and production of the eK Wagon, eK Space, as well as the Nissan badged Dayz and Dayz Roox. 157,000 Mitsubishi cars and 468,000 Nissan cars are involved. A Nissan spokesperson said that sales will not resume until the two companies hold talks regarding compensation.

The fuel economy violations may result in Mitsubishi having to pay back government tax for the vehicles. Mitsubishi's shares fell 15% on the announcement.

Mitsubishi is the latest automaker to come under increased scrutiny for fudging environmental performance numbers. Volkswagen was implicated last year for rigging their diesel vehicles to cheat US emissions tests.

Source: Bloomberg, Engadget
Photo by: DY5W-sport via Wikipedia, used under CC 3.0 license

Gardiner and DVP to close Spring Maintenance

Spring is in the air, which means the Don Valley Parkway is set to close this weekend for its annual maintenance.

Starting Friday at 11pm, the highway will be shut down between the Gardiner and 401. It is scheduled to reopen on April 18th at 5am, just in time for the morning commute.

The closure gives the city a chance to fix potholes and clean out catch basins without having to work in close quarters with the city's notorious traffic.

Of course this will mean big headaches for drivers looking to head downtown. Though fortunately there are no major events happening that weekend.

If you need to to take the DVP, your best bets are Bayview and Don Mills, though expect those to be much heavier than normal

Muzzo sentenced to 10 years in drunk driving crash that killed grandfather, 3 children

Marco Muzzo has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the impaired driving crash that killed a three children and their grandfather last September.

"The enormous harm caused by Mr. Muzzo is extraordinary," Justice Michelle Fuerst told the court as she handed down the sentence Tuesday.

"For as long as Mr. Muzzo has been alive, courts have warned about the consequences of impaired driving, yet it escaped him," Fuerst said. Citing the victim impact statements, she called it a "tragedy beyond comprehension."

Justice Fuerst concluded that "a lengthy plenipotentiary term is necessary. The just and appropriate sentence is one of 10 years."

Marco Muzzo, 29, had pled guilty in the Sept. 27 crash that killed nine-year old Daniel Neville-Lake, five-year-old brother Harrison, two-year-old sister Milly, and their 65-year-old grandfather Gary Neville.

According to an agreed statement of facts, Muzzo had recently returned from a bachelor trip in Miami and had landed at Pearson. He then got behind the wheel of his Jeep and headed home to Vaughan. The Jeep ran a stop sign and collided with a minivan carrying the family. Muzzo's breath samples after the crash indicated a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit.

Letters attesting to Muzzo's character painted him as a hard working young man who had shown considerable remorse for the incident. The defence had asked for a sentence of 8 years.

However, Justice Fuerst called his blood alcohol level "alarmingly high", and cited 10 year prior motor vehicle infractions as part of her decision.

Muzzo will also face a 12 year driving ban after he is released from prison.

Hydro vault fire turns off the juice for Toronto Transit

An electrical fire is being blamed for a major service outage on the TTC Tuesday morning.

Toronto Fire responded to a call around 4:00am of smoke pouring out an underground hydro vault in the Richmond and Victoria Area. Power to the area was turned off while crews worked to being the fire under control.

Service on the Yonge subway was shut down from St Andrew to Bloor stations just in time for the morning rush. Several street car lines were also disrupted, leaving commuters scrambling to board cramped shuttle buses. Some just gave up and walked.

No #TTC service from Bloor to St Andrew stations. Shuttle buses are operating. pic.twitter.com/KLTnbUbuUc

— The Ryersonian (@theryersonian) March 1, 2016

Line up of shuttle buses at #unionstation now #TTC @CBCToronto pic.twitter.com/uUa0RC9cxO

— Nadia (@nadia_toronto) March 1, 2016

Full transit service was restored shortly before 11:00am.

TTC representative Brad Ross confirmed the fire had originated in one of the transit company's vaults. Crews are still investigating the cause.

Not a good morning for #TTC Vault fire causing all sorts of issues. Check @TTCnotices #Toronto pic.twitter.com/Uy5jxf6xwF

— Tony Smyth (@LateNightCam) March 1, 2016

Large snowstorm to hit the GTA on Tuesday UPDATED

After a weekend of unseasonably mild weather, southern Ontario is about to get a harsh reminder that winter is still here.

A powerful Texas Low is expected to impact the region Tuesday evening, bringing with it colder temperatures and heavy snows.

The GTA can expect to receive 2-5cm Tuesday afternoon with an additional 10-20cm overnight heading into Wednesday morning. Freezing rain and ice pellets may also pose problems in areas along the Lower Great Lakes. Exact amounts will depend on how the storm tracks.

Environment Canada warns commuters to be prepared and alter their plans accordingly. A winter storm warning is currently in effect for most of southern Ontario. Watches are in effect for the Ottawa Valley.

This same storm is also causing issues down in the United States, bringing heavy snow and the potential for freezing ran across a large swath of the eastern seaboard from Chicago to the Carolinas.

Both Pearson and Billy Bishop report that flights are operating normally as of Monday morning. However, they remind travellers to check for delays before heading out.