By Shawn Henry 
A Florida driver was arrested during an early-morning traffic stop after being clocked at 120 miles per hour on Interstate 4 and telling a state trooper he believed the patrol car was racing him.
The incident occurred around 2:20 a.m. in Seminole County, where a Florida Highway Patrol trooper stopped a Honda Civic traveling nearly double the posted 65 mph speed limit. According to the patrol report, the trooper was driving a clearly marked police vehicle when the speeding occurred.
Dashcam footage from the stop shows the trooper approaching the passenger side of the car and requesting identification. During the encounter, the driver attempted to explain his behavior by claiming he believed the patrol car was engaged in a race with him, despite the fact that he had passed the trooper at a high rate of speed.
Overnight near #LakeMary, our trooper clocked a Honda Civic going 116 mph in a 65 mph zone on I-4. The driver, a 25-year-old male from Longwood, was arrested under Florida’s #SuperSpeeder law. He was headed straight to jail instead of wherever he thought he was going. #SlowDown! pic.twitter.com/uFG6jxzerC
— FHP Orlando (@FHPOrlando) July 23, 2025
The trooper challenged the explanation and directed the driver to exit the vehicle. He was taken into custody at the scene. When questioned about his speed, the driver said he believed he was traveling about 90 mph, which still placed him well above the legal limit. Based on the recorded speed, the trooper charged him with dangerous excessive speed.
The arrest comes as Florida law enforcement continues to enforce the state’s new “super-speeder” law, which took effect in July. The law targets extreme speeding violations and has resulted in a growing number of arrests involving unusual justifications from drivers.
According to reports from across the state, officers have encountered a range of explanations from motorists cited under the new law. In Palm Coast, a Corvette driver stopped for traveling 107 mph in a 70 mph zone told officers he was rushing to a barber appointment. In Holly Hill, a driver in an SUV clocked at 90 mph in a 25 mph zone said he was nearly late for a party.
Other incidents have included a Dodge driver stopped at 155 mph on Interstate 4 in Seminole County who claimed he was only driving 80 mph and was headed to a friend’s house. In October, another driver caught traveling 124 mph during a street race said the urgency was due to a bathroom need.
The rise in extreme speeding cases has prompted Florida law enforcement agencies to deploy high-performance vehicles of their own. In August, authorities revealed the use of unmarked Dodge Charger Hellcats for traffic enforcement. More recently, officers driving a Ford Mustang GT stopped a teenager traveling 154 mph in his own Mustang.
Officials say the increased enforcement reflects growing concerns about public safety on Florida highways as speeds continue to climb.