Evo vs. 2 States and the Border Patrol

[vtjim]

Ya gotta understand: This is like a huge thing in Vermont.

Busted Evo



Vermont State Trooper William Sweeny was on the lookout for a fast little red car headed north on Interstate 89 on Friday night, but, when the car blasted past, nothing prepared Sweeny for the three numbers that popped up on his radar machine.

1-4-6.

Around 8:30 Friday night, Sweeny clocked 20-year-old Ryan Seeholzer of Williston driving 146 mph just north of Exit 19 in St. Albans.

"If he would have wiped out going that speed," Sweeny said, "hopefully he would have had a wallet in his pocket because that would have been the only way to identify him."

Police eventually stopped Seeholzer on U.S. 2 in Rouses Point, N.Y., but only after a 25-mile hunt that involved six law enforcement agencies.

Seeholzer did not return a phone call for this story.

Part of the problem, Sweeny said, was that his cruiser was no match for Seeholzer's Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution sedan.

"I could keep him in sight for a while," Sweeny said, "but I couldn't catch him."

Sweeny radioed for help. Swanton Police stopped another red car, but the occupants told police they were headed to the same destination as Seeholzer -- a Quebec racetrack about 15 miles north of the border at Rouses Point.

The Grand Isle sheriff also answered Sweeny's call as did the Border Patrol, the New York State Police and Rouses Point Police Department.

By that time, Sweeny said, Seeholzer had reduced his speed to legal limits.

"He knew his goose was cooked," Sweeny said. "He wasn't trying to draw any more attention to himself at this point."

Police wrote Seeholzer a $767 speeding ticket and cited him with careless and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Sweeny credited the quick response of law enforcement to tracking down Seeholzer.

"You can do 146 mph," Sweeny said, "but you're never going to outrun a radio."

[AsianWRX]

dum-bass, should've taken them off some gravel road or side road. If u're gonna get 6 cops involved, whats a chopper to the list?

If I'm gonna get a $800 ticket, I'm gonna see a chopper!

[CKxx]

"You can do 146 mph," Sweeny said, "but you're never going to outrun a radio."


Ha. Cause I havent ever done that....

[2004JadeSTi]

Originally posted by vtjim


Police wrote Seeholzer a $767 speeding ticket and cited him with careless and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Sweeny credited the quick response of law enforcement to tracking down Seeholzer.

"You can do 146 mph," Sweeny said, "but you're never going to outrun a radio."

How did he not lose his license and get taken to jail right away?

Here in NC they can technically take it for 20+ over from what I've been told.

Another thing I've heard is that if they lose sight of you, they can't technically prove it was you, unless they get a clear view of your license plates and I doubt that cop did at 146 mph.

[John M]

Yep, I'd go to court and let them try to prove it was me. After all, they admitted they stopped another red car. How can they prove that wasn't the speeder?

Besides, if I was doing 146 and saw cops, I'd make use of my 2 remaining gears and really give them something to tell their friends

[vtjim]

Originally posted by 2004JadeSTi
How did he not lose his license and get taken to jail right away?

Vermont is actually pretty liberal with speeding laws. They're not as fascist about it as some states.

The one run-in I had with a Trooper was for 82 in a 50, and he let me go with a warning. ('Bout 6 years ago.)

[skyjock41]

When i went to court with my wife (cause she slid off road in the snow) there was a guy in there.

The judge was reading his ticket. It was (in my experience)some of the most horrible things i ever heard of doing in a car. From doing 60 in a school zone to getting clocked over 100 on the freeway and driving outside the whitelines on the freeway to pass cars.

The guy defense was simple. "Your honor, the police officer failed to sign and date the citation."

Judge: Your right....case dismissed. Pretty sad when someone gets pulled over for doing 7 over on the freeway and has to pay and stains like that guy can slip threw the cracks.

As far as the evo guy goes.........im pretty easy going, but at 830 at night. Im sure there are other cars on the road. All it takes is a error is judgement from mom w/kids in the minivan in front looking to switch lanes thinking..... oh hes way back there, im in the clear. Hell just like the cop said, at 146....hope you dont hit a rock on the road.....cause your gonna be juice.

[DTR rex]

haha, i think its funny how it made the papers... this has happened to like 10 of my friends, lol...

i am suprised that he was let off so easily... and that he pleaded guilty.... this is why i have made myself as aware of my states traffic laws as possilbe, just so i can defend my self properly..

its pretty sad... iknow more about traffic laws than 85% of cops. the only bad thing is that when you shop them up, they feel dumb and get REALLY angry... thats why i play the "yes officer, how are doing, etc.." to get on his good side.

my uncle got pulled over for like 140+ in his modded prelude in a 45mph zone... he was arrested on scene, but the cop didnt show up, so my uncle was issued a fine as opposed to license suspension and a $1,000 fine... he only paid $125

[vtjim]

Originally posted by skyjock41
As far as the evo guy goes.........im pretty easy going, but at 830 at night. Im sure there are other cars on the road.

Well, I hear ya about the speed on a public road, but I-89 where he was is pretty much empty most of the time, and rural.

(Note I'm not defending the guy. Just commenting on the usual conditions...)

[JohnnyLevels]

Wow, and I thought my 75 in a 55 ticket was bad.

[ilivas]

One time I got a 115 in a 65mph zone ticket. I got it dismissed by a lawyer though.

[bigtrick]

for all you speed demons out there:

forget the tickets. you get in a crash doing 100, you're probably not going to survive.

keep that in mind.

[rallymaniac]

im not deffending anyone but 100mph on the highway should not be anything unusual. If you get into accident, it's probably because you were being stupid or because of some morons that can't drive. Considering our roads, 100 should be pretty close to the average. Germany has way faster traffic and they have waaaaay less accdients that we do, and no speed limit.

[bigtrick]

if you get into an accident, it also could be because of some factor that's out of your control.

i hit a deer driving on i-57 a few months ago. i was paying attention to the road, but it just hopped out of the bushes right in front of my car. i was doing perhaps 75 at the time. deer ended up bouncing off the hood and onto the roof.

if i were unluckier, the deer could have gone through the windshield and caused serious damage. as it was, it only caused around $7k damage to my car.

so just saying. you may not see it coming, whether "it" is "some morons who can't drive" or a rock or a deer or any other thing.

be careful.

[KnightRider2K]

Originally posted by rallymaniac
im not deffending anyone but 100mph on the highway should not be anything unusual. If you get into accident, it's probably because you were being stupid or because of some morons that can't drive. Considering our roads, 100 should be pretty close to the average. Germany has way faster traffic and they have waaaaay less accdients that we do, and no speed limit.

The only moron is the person who assumes 100mph is normal. In case you haven't noticed, public highways are exactly that, namely public, full of young drivers, older drivers, slow vehicles, extremely large vehicles (tractor trailers), etc. in which speed limits are set to accomodate everyone's safety. The roads are not full of Michael Shumacher reacting drivers in formula-one vehicles.