Police in Idaho had a fairly straightforward request: Help identify a motorcyclist who reportedly outran deputies twice at speeds exceeding 100 mph. The internet responded with an impressive collection of motorcycle experts, amateur detectives, and people who had suddenly developed very selective memories.
According to the Kuna Police Department, an Ada County sheriff’s sergeant attempted to stop a motorcycle rider Wednesday afternoon, November 11. The rider accelerated past 100 mph, prompting the sergeant to abandon the pursuit for safety reasons. Deputies spotted the motorcycle again later that afternoon, but a second pursuit ended much the same way.
With two pursuits terminated and the rider still unidentified, police posted a photograph of the motorcycle on Facebook and asked the public for help. The request attracted plenty of attention, although some commenters seemed considerably more interested in identifying fictional motorcycles than the person riding the real one.
One particularly confident motorcycle expert identified the machine as a 2014 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, with a rider standing 6 feet, 3 inches tall, weighing somewhere between 210 and 240 pounds, and approaching 50 years old. The description earned thousands of likes. The motorcycle in the photograph, however, was not a Fat Boy.
Everybody’s a Motorcycle Expert
The motorcycle’s identity quickly became a matter of considerable disagreement. Suggestions ranged from a Honda Gold Wing to a Honda Grom, with Kawasaki, Ducati, and other manufacturers receiving nominations.
Another expert proposed a highly modified Gold Wing piloted by a man standing somewhere between three and four feet tall. The possibility that police were searching for a leprechaun was also raised.
Several commenters were convinced the rider was a Power Ranger, although there was little agreement about which one. The Black Ranger, White Ranger, and Pink Ranger all received nominations.
One person suggested police might have better luck catching the suspect after morphing time.
Everybody Has an Alibi, Too
The identification effort also produced an impressive number of people willing to account for the rider’s whereabouts.
“Couldn’t have been her, she was at my house all day,” one commenter assured police.
Others claimed the rider had been with them at the movies, on vacation, or otherwise occupied. It seems the motorcycle had covered considerably more ground than deputies initially realized.
Some were more straightforward about their willingness to cooperate.
“Can we? Yes. Will we? No,” read one response.
Another wondered how police could track someone’s ex but couldn’t identify a motorcycle rider.
And someone was keeping score: “Scoreboard 2:0 Kuna PD taking those loses personally 🤧”
Not everyone was cheering the escape. Some commenters questioned the reason for the original traffic stop, while others praised deputies for abandoning the high-speed pursuits rather than risking a crash.
Police Eventually Got Their Answer
The motorcycle rider may have escaped twice, but the investigation continued after the engines stopped.
On November 12, Kuna Police announced that 22-year-old Sarina Kidd, of Kuna, had been arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail on a felony charge of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer in a motor vehicle.
Police thanked everyone who called or emailed with tips. The department did not explain how investigators identified Kidd or whether anyone’s Facebook detective work contributed to the arrest.
By then, the comment section had produced enough conflicting motorcycle identifications to keep a dealership’s used-bike department busy for weeks.
All parties are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.