Cops are hearing all kinds of excuses from drivers arrested under Florida’s new “super speeder” law.
On Sept. 23, a man driving a Corvette in Palm Coast was pulled over by a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy for going 107 mph in a 70 mph zone on Interstate 95. “Why are you walking so fast?” the adjutant asked the man. “I have an appointment with the barber,” the man replied. “In New Smyrna.”
The deputy’s body camera captured the back-and-forth discussion. The driver had not heard about the increased penalties under the new law.
“Now you’re going to jail for the night,” the deputy said. “Sleepover?” the man asked. “Yes, overnight,” the deputy responded.
1 Man’s excuse for speeding? He thought the soldiers wanted to compete
On Sept. 6, a man was driving an SUV at 90 mph in a 25 mph zone on 10th Street in Mount Holly. He told Mount Holly detectives that he was “almost late” to the party.
On July 20, another man driving a high-performance Dodge told Florida Highway Patrol he was going to a friend’s house. He was clocked at 155 mph on Interstate 4 in Seminole County. The driver said he only did 80 points. Police suspected the man was showing off in front of his three passengers.
Just before midnight on Oct. 31, another man was stopped while driving 108 mph on Interstate 4 in Volusia County. According to a Department of Corrections officer, the man was wearing a Department of Corrections uniform and said he was on his way to work.
On July 23, another man was pulled over after driving 120 mph in a 65 mph zone on I-4 in Seminole County. He said he believed the FHP trooper who pulled him over in a marked patrol car was actually trying to race him.
About 170 people cited in less than 5 months under Florida’s new super speeding law
About 170 people in Volusia County were charged under the new super speeding law between July 1, when the law took effect, and Nov. 19. The new legislation elevates excessive speeding to a criminal charge. The FHP filed charges against the most people, about 107 people, while the Volusia Sheriff’s Office filed charges against about 50 drivers.
Law enforcement officers who stop a speeding driver can take the driver to jail or give him a citation.
Mount Holly Police Chief Byron K. Williams during a 2024 meet and greet at the city’s Commission Office.
Holly Hill Police Chief Byron K. Williams said in an interview that “we’ve had enough” and that the super speeding law gives law enforcement “more leverage” to address egregious violations, such as drivers reportedly traveling 90 mph in a 25 mph zone.
“It’s obviously ridiculous that someone could run that fast,” Williams said in a phone interview. “There’s no rhyme or reason why someone should go that fast on the road.”
He said everyone was at risk due to driving at such high speeds.
“Your family might just be driving to the store, not knowing that might be the last time you see them because someone is in a hurry or someone decides to rev their engine and see how fast they can go down the road.”
A recent fatal high-speed accident occurred not far from Mount Holly.
Under the new law, drivers could be charged with misdemeanors. A person is a super speeder if he or she drives at a speed of 50 mph or more, or at a speed of 100 mph or more “in a manner that threatens the safety of others or property or interferes with the operation of any vehicle.”
According to traffic jam reports, this “way” is often described as weaving in and out of traffic.
Under the statute, a first conviction is punishable by up to 30 days in jail, a $500 fine, or both. A second conviction is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both.
The statute states that if someone is convicted again within five years of the first conviction, their driver’s license will be suspended for a minimum of 180 days and a maximum of one year.
Defense lawyer hears speeding case
Matt Thompson, president of the Volusia County chapter of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said he has been hired to handle several speeding cases and that there appears to be an “increase” in the number of defense attorneys in such cases.
“The person I have represented thus far has no significant driving history and no criminal record,” Thompson said. “If the state is able to prove this case, I will focus on securing an outcome such as a deferred prosecution agreement so the client can avoid a criminal record.”
He said past civil citations “now have criminal consequences” and “any criminal charges could impact employment opportunities or college admissions.”
Speeding can have fatal consequences
Scott P. March, 63, bought a Chevrolet Corvette on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 1. Later that day, March was driving the car at 147 mph (147 mph) in the 45 mph (45 mph) busy stretch of A1A in Ormond-by-the-Sea, according to the FHP.
He reached speeds of 110 mph when he tried to overtake a Jeep in a restricted area but crashed into it.
Thomas Lauck was driving the Jeep and his wife, Julia Ann, was the passenger. Both men fell from the Jeep and suffered fatal injuries.
March was not cited for “speeding.” But he faces more serious charges.
He is being held without bail at the Volusia County Branch Jail on two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of driving under the influence causing death.
Scott P. March talks to another inmate while awaiting a hearing Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, at the Steven Henderson Justice Center in Daytona Beach.
FHP: Super speeders jailed for speeding
FHP Trooper Tara Crescenzi credits Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina as the driving force behind the super speeding law.
“It’s sending a message,” Crescenzi said. “This is no longer a traffic ticket: You could spend a night in jail.”
She said speeding was putting people’s lives at risk. Highways shorten reaction times in situations such as traffic jams.
“If you’re driving at such a high speed and then get stuck in traffic, you could kill yourself or someone else,” she said.
She said speeding on local roads was also very dangerous. Local roads have pedestrians, intersections, traffic lights, and stop signs that interstates and highways don’t have.
Flagler detective not speeding, but faces pending citation
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office recently had a speeding incident involving one of its deputies. Flagler Sheriff’s Office Detective Ardit Coma was spotted driving a 55-88 on Dec. 4 by Ormond Beach police Sgt. Caleb Braun.
The detective was arrested after he tried to flee a traffic stop for speeding, troopers said. Coma, who was driving an unmarked Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Ford Taurus on his way to work, said he didn’t realize Braun was trying to stop him.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staley said Coma should not have been arrested because there was no evidence he had any intention to escape. Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey backed his officers in arresting Koma. The state attorney’s office declined to file charges.
The Sheriff’s Office suspended Coma without pay for two days. Koma was not “speeding,” but he still had a pending traffic ticket.
Flagler Sheriff’s Office: Speeding puts everyone at risk
Jonathan Welker, chief of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Community Policing Division, declined to comment on Coma’s case in an interview, saying the Sheriff’s Office had handled the case.
Welker said that prior to the super speeding law, he was “aware of any statutes that specifically criminalized speeding. Deputies would rely on reckless driving statutes if applicable.”
Welker said the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested 15 people under the super speeding law since it went into effect July 1. He said Corvette driver Michael Stanek’s excuse for a haircut was unique.
“In my 30-year career, I had never heard a barber’s voice until I saw that video,” Welker said.
Stanek, 57, was booked into the Flagler County Jail following a traffic stop on Sept. 23, where he remained for about 90 minutes before being released on $150 bond. Stanek was sentenced on Oct. 30 and ordered to pay a $166 fine and $50 in prosecution costs, according to court records. He didn’t go to jail. The verdict was withheld, meaning the misdemeanor was not recorded as a conviction.
Welker said speeding puts motorists at risk and puts other drivers at risk.
“It’s not worth it. Please slow down,” he said. “Obide traffic laws. Get to your destination safely and let those with you get there safely.”
This article originally appeared in the Daytona Beach News-Journal: Speeding is dangerous no matter the excuse, police say
