RCMP have charged two men with stunting in Alma after two vehicles were clocked allegedly going more than 160 km/h while carrying a combined total of 12 students. It happened just before noon Wednesday near Mount Thom on Highway 104.

In a release, RCMP said an officer in an unmarked car was passed by two racing vehicles, a minivan and a car. The officer said he recorded radar readings of 183 and 167 km/h for the respective vehicles.

“This situation was an accident just waiting to happen. Fully loaded or overloaded vehicles do not handle the same, and when you add driver inexperience and poor choices to the mix, this could very well have resulted in a tragedy,” said Const. Dan MacDonald, an RCMP collision reconstruction/traffic analyst.

The officer who spotted the vehicles called for backup and RCMP were able to stop them — both rentals — near Exit 21 in Alma.

RCMP said 12 students from the Halifax area were packed into the vehicles along with their luggage.

Both vehicles were impounded and returned to the rental company. The two drivers, ages 23 and 26, were charged with stunting.

The drivers were immediately suspended from driving for one week.

If convicted, they will face a fine of more than $2,412 each and an automatic six demerit points on their driving record.