Arizona troopers stopped a driver going 106 mph in a 65 mph zone near Flagstaff on June 11. When they asked what the rush was, she told them she was late for a live-action role-playing tournament in Colorado. The Arizona Department of Public Safety arrested her for criminal speeding.
She was booked into the Coconino County jail, though the AZDPS didn’t release her name. The competition she was racing to was still hours away, across the state line, so she ended up missing it, obviously. Troopers had pulled her over well short of it, in northern Arizona.
The driver seemed to think that this LARP excuse was a valid reason to both speed and drive recklessly. However, she didn’t take into account others on the road or how safe it is to go at such high speeds. And as a result, she faced some serious consequences.
DPS joked about the stop on Facebook, posting that “speeding to save a fictional realm is no excuse for drivers on Arizona highways.” The agency regularly shares unusual stops online, usually with a safety message attached. This one got passed around for the driver’s reason – especially the fact that she thought she was in the clear.
What Is LARPing?
LARP stands for live-action role-playing, which is a hobby that tends to cross over with gamers and members of the “geeky” community. Players typically dress up as characters and act out adventures together in the real world, usually with costumes and foam weapons. They’re usually based in stories borrowed from fantasy and science fiction. It works much like a tabletop game such as Dungeons & Dragons, except it all plays out live and in costume.
Events can take place from small backyard meetups to large festivals and tournaments that draw players from several states. Some run for days, with scored combat and characters that grow over time like a Dungeons and Dragons game. Colorado has an active LARP scene, and an event there is what the driver said she was rushing to reach — though she ended up missing out completely.
What Counts as Criminal Speeding in Arizona?
Arizona treats some speeding as a crime instead of a traffic violation. Going faster than 85 mph anywhere, or more than 20 mph over a posted limit of 65 or below, is eligible for charges of criminal speeding. Her speed that day cleared both prerequisites.
Criminal speeding is a class 3 misdemeanor in Arizona, which can carry fines and even jail time. A conviction can leave a lasting mark on a person’s record, on top of any fine, which sets it apart from an ordinary speeding ticket. The driver’s name hasn’t been released at the time of this posting.