Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket

WABASHA, Minn. (Sept. 21) - With a State Patrol airplane overhead, a motorcyclist hit the throttle and possibly set the informal record for the fastest speeding ticket in Minnesota history: 205 mph.



On Saturday afternoon, State Patrol pilot Al Loney was flying near Wabasha, in southeastern Minnesota on the Wisconsin border, watching two motorcyclists racing along U.S. Highway 61.

When one of the riders shot forward, Loney was ready with his stopwatch. He clicked it once when the motorcycle reached a white marker on the road and again a quarter-mile later. The watch read 4.39 seconds, which Loney calculated to be 205 mph.

"I was in total disbelief," Loney told the St. Paul Pioneer Press for Tuesday's editions. "I had to double-check my watch because in 27 years I'd never seen anything move that fast."

Several law enforcement sources told the newspaper that, although no official records are kept, it was probably the fastest ticket ever written in the state.

After about three-quarters of a mile, the biker slowed to about 100 mph and let the other cycle catch up. By then Loney had radioed ahead to another state trooper, who pulled the two over soon afterward.

The State Patrol officer arrested the faster rider, 20-year-old Stillwater resident Samuel Armstrong Tilley, for reckless driving, driving without a motorcycle license - and driving 140 miles per hour over the posted speed limit of 65 mph.

A search of speeding tickets written by state troopers, who patrol most of the state's highways, between 1990 and February 2004 shows the next fastest ticket was for 150 mph in 1994 in Lake of the Woods County.

Tilley did not return calls from the newspaper to his home Monday. A working number for him could not immediately be found by The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Only a handful of exotic sports cars can reach 200 mph, but many high-performance motorcycles can top 175 mph. With minor modifications, they can hit 200 mph. Tilley was riding a Honda 1000, Loney said.

Kathy Swanson of the state Office of Traffic Safety said unless Tilley was wearing the kind of protective gear professional motorcycle racers wear, he was courting death at 200 mph.

"I'm not entirely sure what would happen if you crashed at 200 miles per hour," Swanson said. "But it wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure."


09/21/04 16:39 EDT

Copyright 2004 The Associated Press.

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

sweet.....

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

Hell yeah...now that's a newspaper article to be proud of if your that guy :D I would have bought every copy in town. :drink:

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

I can hear it now......

"OH MAN.......come on! My insurance is gonna go through the roof. Can you possibly lower the ticket to 195 mph?" :rolleyes: :D

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

Roflmao.... I remember getting a ticket the same way years ago... luckily for me... I had slowed down.... I was clocked over a measured half mile going 123 in a 55........ :D

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

he should tell the judge he forgot about it and frame that over the fireplace.

as for bad moves i passed a N.Y.C. cop at 130mph and as you would expect he really didnt want to do the paperwork, lucky for me he sent me home w/no ticket!

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

140 in a 45, Arlington County, VA, back when I was 19, and in the Air Force; 1987 Trans Am. 3 juristictions chased me, arrested, released on recognaziance; charged with reckless endangerment, evading law enforcement, and resisiting arrest. The judge let up on the resisting arrest, but socked me good for the other two. At 19 and in the Military, a $600 fine was a lot of cabbage. I was so broke for the next two years, (Assigned Risk Insurance, worse than High Risk), that I remember having $4 dollars in my checking account, and putting in $6 so I could get a $10 out; several times.

I didn't learn. At 21, I bought a crotch rocket. I passed a Fairfax County Police Station during shift change, doing a wheelie. Forking stupid.

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

Well that dude beat my 165 in a Supra Turbo when I was 24... Young...dumb...
Those cops were laughing issuing three tickets for $800 and keeping my radar detector... I deserved it.

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

And stupid.

Re: Minnesota Trooper Writes 205 MPH Ticket
 

Man, that brings back the 20 yr old memories....1969 GTO worked 500 HP blue block, 2.90 rear end ratio, special suspension bits, total stock appearance = many dead ferraris, porsches etc. with shocked, dumbfounded expressions on their drivers faces. Since most of the "fun" was freeway stuff, they never had a chance to notice the cars idle, Rrrrrrump, Rrrrrrump, Rrrrrump, shake shake shake. <ggggggg>