A 26-year-old woman was arrested on Alligator Alley in Collier County after a Florida Highway Patrol trooper clocked her Kia Forte doing 110 mph in a 70 mph zone, with a 7-year-old child riding unbuckled in the back seat. Leonna Gomes was pulled over around 9:46 p.m. on September 9 and now faces a charge of super speeding under Florida's newly toughened traffic law.
According to Gulf Coast News and Weather, Gomes told the trooper she and one passenger urgently needed to use the bathroom, per the FHP arrest report. The outlet reports she had two children in the vehicle at the time, and that the trooper who stopped her went on to make the arrest for super speeding. Official booking records reviewed by Recently Booked confirm Gomes was booked on September 9 under booking ID 202600007835, with a primary charge listed as operating a vehicle at 100-plus mph while threatening the safety of a person or property.
That charge stems directly from Florida's so-called “dangerous excessive speeding” law, House Bill 351, which took effect July 1, 2025. Per Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A., the statute makes driving 100 mph or more in a manner that threatens people or property a criminal offense, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine for a first conviction — a significant escalation from what used to be a routine civil speeding ticket.
A Mandatory Court Date Awaits
Because Gomes was clocked traveling roughly 40 mph over the posted 70 mph limit, the case involves a significant speeding violation.
The unbuckled 7-year-old in the back seat adds another layer of statutory exposure. Florida Department of Transportation guidelines state that all vehicle passengers under 18 must be restrained, and failing to secure a child carries a $60 fine and three points against a driver's license under Florida Statute § 316.613. The circumstances involving the children could also raise questions about their physical safety.
Why Alligator Alley Amplifies the Danger
The stretch of I-75 where the stop occurred, known as Alligator Alley, is an 80-mile toll segment cutting through the Everglades between Collier and Broward counties. The incident occurred in a 70 mph zone, and the corridor is an isolated stretch of highway.
The Florida Highway Patrol stopped Gomes on the highway. The article also mentions Road Rangers and *347 calls without providing further service details. Elsewhere, Hoodline reported on a Lake Mary-Sanford chase.
Part of a Statewide Speeding Surge
Gomes's arrest involved extreme speeding on a Florida road. Nationally, speeding contributes to roughly 26 percent of all traffic fatalities, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data cited by Fine, Farkash & Parlapiano, P.A., with drivers under 25 accounting for the highest share of speed-related fatal crashes.
Open questions remain in Gomes's case, including whether prosecutors will pursue additional child neglect or endangerment counts, what her final court disposition will be, and details of her prior driving record. Similar cases have surfaced elsewhere in Florida this year, including a 110 mph Lake Mary chase near Sanford.
