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Florida man arrested for driving over 140 mph on U.S. 19

Deon Hendricks charged with Reckless Driving
Posted at 3:04 AM, Jun 19, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-19 16:37:48-04

PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. -- A Florida Highway Patrol trooper arrested a Clearwater man for driving nearly three times the legal speed limit early Sunday morning.

According to the arrest report, the trooper spotted 28-year-old Deon Hendricks driving on U.S. 19 at a extremely high rate of speed around 3 a.m.

The trooper wrote Hendricks was going in excess of 140 mph before slowing to approximately 70 mph and then accelerating multiple times up to 100 mph.

The trooper eventually pulled over Hendricks near the intersection of U.S. 19 and Roosevelt Boulevard. Hendricks was arrested on a misdemeanor Reckless Driving charge for driving "a motor vehicle upon the highways of the State of Florida in a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property."

The speed limit on the section of U.S. 19 where Hendricks is accused of driving 140 mph is only 55 mph. The trooper noted in the arrest report there was a moderate to light amount of traffic on the highway at the time of night.

Hendricks was released from jail Sunday morning on his own recognizance.