A pair of Ford Mustang drivers apparently picked the wrong stretch of Interstate 4 for a late-night race. Florida Highway Patrol troopers reported the cars traveling at speeds of at least 120 mph, weaving through traffic in a 70-mph zone.
The encounter unfolded around 12:42 a.m. on October 19 in Hillsborough County, east of Tampa. Trooper J. Medina alerted fellow Trooper A. Thorsen to the speeding cars near mile marker 17, setting in motion an encounter captured on FHP dashcam footage.
According to FHP arrest affidavits, Thorsen was driving a marked Dodge Charger when he spotted the Mustangs passing through traffic and keeping pace with each other near McIntosh Road. The lead car carried Virginia plates, while the second had Florida registration.
Thorsen followed the Virginia-plated Mustang in the inside lane as Sgt. J. Moore positioned his patrol vehicle behind the Florida-plated car in the center lane. With a trooper behind each car, they activated their emergency lights and sirens.
Two Mustangs, Two Traffic Stops
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The drivers pulled over near mile marker 12, with the Virginia-plated Mustang stopping in the median and the Florida-plated car moving onto the outside shoulder. Thorsen approached the first driver, instructed him to step out, and detained him in his patrol vehicle. Across the interstate, Sgt. Moore directed the second driver to the median, where Trooper Medina placed him in handcuffs. The stops occurred around 12:48 a.m., approximately six minutes after the initial report of speeding.
The drivers were identified as Juan Diego Eslava Gutierrez, 30, of Virginia, and Oswaldo Gabriel Rivas Alviarez, 24, of Orlando. Each was arrested on a charge of unlawful racing on a highway, a first-degree misdemeanor. FHP called Hoods to tow the Mustangs and ordered 30-day impoundment holds, leaving the drivers without their cars for the next month. They were transported to the Hillsborough County Jail.
The stop also led to an additional charge for Gutierrez. During an inventory search of the Virginia-plated Mustang, Thorsen found a bag containing approximately two to three grams of green, leafy material he suspected was marijuana. Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Deputy A. Berman conducted a roadside test that reportedly returned a positive result for synthetic marijuana. Gutierrez acknowledged that the substance belonged to him, according to the affidavit, and was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance.
All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.