A Georgia deputy caught a driver going 172 mph on an Atlanta highway ahead of Memorial Day weekend. That was fast enough, according to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, to cover about the length of a football field in well under a second. The deputy was able to get the vehicle to stop.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office posted the radar reading on its Facebook page as a warning ahead of the holiday. It picked up traction quickly with the high speed highlighted. The debates about what kind of car could even get to 172 mph in the first place did as well.
The vehicle in question was a Dodge Durango. The 172-mph reading puts the SUV well past the threshold Georgia’s “Super Speeder” law, much like Florida’s. It also pushed the speeder into a category where reckless-driving charges and more serious consequences become possible.
But speeding issues obviously go far beyond Memorial Day and other holidays. It’s always a good idea to be conscious of how fast you’re going, after all. It doesn’t matter what kind of vehicle is being driven or what the emergency is. Speed limits are posted for good reason.
What Happened to the Vehicle and the Driver
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office’s warning post about the driver reminded readers that at nearly 200mph, a driver covers about the length of a football field in well under a second. That leaves almost no chance to react to anything ahead of them. They encouraged drivers to slow down, buckle up, stay off their phones, and either drive sober or designate someone else to take the keys. The office said would rather see people at a cookout than on the side of the road.
A Douglas County deputy stopped the driver after the radar reading. The photo the sheriff’s office released set off an online debate about whether the SUV was a base-model Durango, a Durango SRT Hellcat, or whether the radar was somehow off. As the social media post noted, that speed was “not a typo,” as so many had cheekily wondered in the comment section.
Super Speeders and the Law
Under Georgia’s “Super Speeder” law, drivers found going above 85 mph on highways face additional penalties on top of any underlying speeding ticket. This 172 mph reading would put a driver at roughly twice that threshold. At those speeds, it’s possible a driver will face reckless driving charges, license consequences, insurance increases, and even jail time.
Georgia isn’t the only state in the news with a super speeder as of late. A Florida driver was recently charged with a DUI in Jacksonville while driving with a toddler in the car. She had been going 120mph at the time.