A man in Oklahoma was recently arrested and charged with reckless driving and attempting to elude law enforcement. The man allegedly turned off his headlights after an Oklahoma State Trooper attempted to stop him. Law enforcement further alleges the man reached speeds of 208 miles per hour in his 2011 Ford Mustang before the law caught up to him. Read more about the pursuit at Fox 25 out of Oklahoma City.
Although modern performance street cars have incredible amounts of horsepower, it’s not exactly easy to get a Mustang to go over 200 mph. For example, only 17 Mustangs are part of an elite group of 212 street legal cars and motorcycles that have reached speeds greater than 200 mph at The Texas Mile from 2011 to 2016. The Texas Mile is an annual high-speed event held on an airport runway. The fastest Mustang, a 2011 Mustang GT500 went over 232 mph! So, yes, a street-driven 2011 Mustang is capable of exceeding 200mph. However, the speeds at high-speed track events are the result of investing tens of thousands of dollars into modifications, trial and error by professional performance car and engine builders, experienced drivers, and proper track conditions.
Although I lack the detailed information as to how law enforcement recorded the alleged speed, it would be an interesting case to defend. Besides the Oklahoma Highway Patrol not likely having a vehicle that can reach 200mph (it appears they use V8 Dodge Chargers) to clock the driver, if radar or laser was used, those speed detecting devices are subject to user, calibration, and environmental errors.
Nonetheless, the alleged speed isn’t the most serious allegation against the driver. Attempting to elude police in a motor vehicle is a serious criminal offense anywhere. In Minnesota, fleeing in a motor vehicle is a felony offense, and turning off your headlights to evade is evidence written into MN law. Furthermore, Minnesota revokes your driver’s license for six-months if you are convicted of driving in excess of 100mph.
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Coley Grostyan is a Minnesota criminal defense attorney who defends clients accused of anything from traffic violations to serious felonies in Minnesota and Federal courts.