There are bad reasons to speed, and then there are truly spectacular ones. Most drivers who get caught doing triple digits on the highway can at least point to some kind of urgency.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety Highway Patrol, a driver caught flying down AZ-347 in Pinal County on June 9 explained that she was trying to get home in time to watch “Love Island.”
Officers clocked her at 108 mph in a posted 65 mph zone. That is well beyond a routine speeding violation and firmly into criminal speed territory under Arizona law.
The consequences landed hard. The driver was arrested and booked on charges of criminal speed and reckless driving. Her vehicle was also impounded for 20 days, which Arizona DPS jokingly described as a trip to “car jail.”
The driver’s identity was not released, but her explanation quickly became the most memorable part of a social media post highlighting several recent stops for triple-digit speeds across Arizona. While most speeding cases come with familiar excuses, the reality TV deadline stood out enough to quickly become the focus of the online conversation.
What “Criminal Speed” Means in Arizona
Arizona draws a legal distinction between a standard speeding ticket and criminal speed. While most speeding violations are handled as civil infractions, speeding as a criminal offense is a misdemeanor that applies when a driver exceeds 85 mph or travels more than 20 mph over the posted speed limit.
At 108 mph in a 65 mph zone, this driver met both thresholds.
A conviction can result in fines, points against a driver’s license, a criminal record, and possible jail time. Arizona law also allows vehicles involved in criminal speed and reckless driving cases to be impounded, adding towing, storage, and administrative costs on top of any court penalties.
The Bigger Problem With Triple-Digit Speeds
The “Love Island” explanation may be amusing, but the speed itself is what concerns troopers.
At highway speeds, stopping distances increase dramatically with every additional mile per hour. By the time a vehicle reaches triple digits, drivers have far less time to react to changing traffic conditions, debris in the roadway, slower vehicles, or sudden lane changes.
The Arizona DPS post also highlighted several other recent criminal speeding arrests, including drivers clocked at 121 mph, 106 mph, and 93 mph in a 50-mph zone. In each case, troopers made arrests rather than issuing routine citations.
Local authorities did not release the driver’s name or any additional identifying information.