A Florida Highway Patrol trooper parked in the median of I-75 near Tampa saw two gray sedans go by in the northbound lanes at about 2:24 a.m. Friday, Oct. 30. By the time it ended, a trooper had spun one of them off the road at the I-4 interchange, and the other had been stopped at the entrance to the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. A 19-year-old and an 18-year-old, both from Hillsborough County, were arrested and charged with racing on the highway and fleeing to elude, WFLA reported, citing the arrest report.
What the arrest report says happened
The trooper tried to pull the sedans over as they approached US-301, according to the report. The drivers instead lined up their front ends and accelerated together, “engaging in a drag race.” The trooper’s own vehicle reached 140 mph, the report says, and the sedans were believed to be going faster while changing lanes aggressively to get around other motorists.
At the I-4 interchange, the trooper used a PIT maneuver on the 19-year-old’s car, which rotated off the road and stopped on the shoulder. A second trooper stayed with the 18-year-old.
WFLA’s account doesn’t name the sedans’ makes or models, report injuries, or give bond amounts or court dates. Backfire News hasn’t been able to pull the arrest report or a court docket, so the degree of each charge is unconfirmed. Arrest charges can also change once prosecutors decide what to file.
Racing is a misdemeanor; eluding is a felony
The racing charge falls under Section 316.191 of the Florida Statutes. A first conviction is a first-degree misdemeanor with a fine of $500 to $2,000 and a one-year driver license revocation. The statute defines a race as a competition that grows out of a challenge, and the challenge can be prearranged or an immediate response to another driver’s conduct. Two cars that line up and go can qualify without any planning…