A man in Sarasota, Florida, was less than two hours away from celebrating his birthday when he allegedly decided to drive at 99 mph. A traffic stop ruined his birthday plans, and he was later jailed.
According to the Sarasota Police Department (SPD), the incident occurred on Saturday, July 25. At around 10:30 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle in the 4400 block of Fruitville Road.
The SPD said that the driver traveled at a whopping 99 mph. He was driving in a 45 mph zone.
One officer approached the man to try to find a reason for his alleged behavior. He would later find that he was effectively robbing the man of a potential birthday cake, as he should have.
No Reason for Speeding
The officer approached the vehicle’s driver side door and asked the driver to roll his window down. The cop straight-up told him he was speeding by 54 mph over the speed limit.
“Is there any reason why we were going so fast tonight like that?” the officer asked. The driver, whose name has not been disclosed and whose face was blurred, answered, “No, sir.”
The driver was asked why he was driving so fast. Apparently, he grinned, and the officer called him out, telling him, “Clearly you think it’s funny.” The driver answered, “No, I do not.”
Birthday Ruined
After asking for the man’s driver’s license, the officer returned to his patrol car. Then, he reapproached the man’s pickup truck and asked him about his birthday.
“So, did you say your birthday was tonight?” the cop asked. The man said, “Yeah, it’s July 26th.”
After saying, “Dang, bro,” knowing full well what was going to happen, the officer asked the man to step out of his vehicle. He was placed under arrest.
Super Speeder
The SPD detailed the state’s Super Speeder law. It went into effect on July 1, 2025, and it makes it a crime to drive 100 mph or more, so long as the safety of other people or property, or any vehicle operation, is threatened.
The law also makes it a crime to drive 50+ mph over the posted limit. As a result, this landed the unnamed man in deep trouble.
He is charged with dangerous, excessive speeding. If this was his offense, he could face up to 30 days in jail, up to a $500 fine, a mandatory court appearance, and four points on his driver’s license.
The man spent part of his birthday behind bars. The SPD added, “Slow down. The speed limit isn’t a suggestion, and let’s be honest, jail is a pretty lousy place to celebrate your birthday.”