SPANISH FORK, Utah, April 24, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — The Utah County Sheriff’s Office chased down a speeder 71 mph over the speed limit, prompting a debate of sorts online on such police endeavor.
The chase ensued about 3 p.m. as a 22-year-old Lehi man sped past a parked sheriff’s office motorcycle officer who clocked him at 141 mph in a 70 mph zone, according to the sheriff’s office posting online Tuesday night.
“He received a citation for reckless driving. If found guilty he will likely lose his license. The deputy said he counseled the rider ‘on the physics of velocity and how quickly things can happen.’ In other words, he told him he would probably not survive a crash at that speed.”
That admonition launched a Facebook discussion mounting to 225 comments and more than 600 icon clicks by Wednesday night, musing on the ethics, penalties here and elsewhere, pros and cons, personal feelings, shared experiences of officers and citizens, on and on, beginning with such comments as “Do physics and velocity not apply to the officer?”
“Yes,” the sheriff’s office responded in the comments section. “The laws of physics do apply to the officer.” But the officer has dozens and dozens of hours of advanced training in riding a motorcycle. And in the particular incident, traffic became heavy enough to slow the speeder down. “So circumstances helped and may have saved the life of the speeder.”
The discussions were spiced by comments such as “I mean realistically, going those speeds might as well drop a gear and hit your 190 run and get away, the likelihood he got your plate going that fast is slim.”
And “That’s honestly not that fast. If you’ve gone that speed you know it doesn’t even feel fast.”
For the full script of “Look Ma, I’m a Skid Mark” or “As the License Expires” check the postings at https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=846584264176817&set=a.310099301158652
