A 22-year-old Jacksonville man was arrested after sheriff's deputies say he blew past a patrol car at 135 miles per hour on Interstate 95 with an open bottle of tequila riding in his car. Zyon Jackson now faces charges including driving under the influence, reckless driving, and speeding through an active construction zone, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
The chase began when Officer Nicholas Whisman was working a stretch of I-95 and watched a car blow past him at high speed, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Dash camera footage released by JSO and reported by WFLA shows the pursuit stretching from I-95 onto I-10 before the car finally pulled over just short of the interstate interchange. Jackson got out of the vehicle and lay down on the ground as officers approached, per the station's report.
When Whisman asked Jackson what he'd been doing, the young driver reportedly offered a casual explanation: he was just enjoying his night, per the same account. Deputies also cited Jackson for an open bottle of tequila in the car.
A New Florida Law Makes Triple-Digit Speeding a Crime
Jackson's 135 mph run put him well above the threshold Florida lawmakers set in House Bill 351, which took effect in July 2025 and created the criminal offense of dangerous excessive speeding. Under the law, codified as Florida Statute § 316.1922, driving 100 mph or faster in a manner that threatens the safety of people or property or interferes with another vehicle’s operation, or driving 50 or more mph over the posted limit, is a second-degree misdemeanor carrying up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine for a first offense, according to the Brancato Law Firm, P.A. Before that statute existed, extreme speed alone was typically handled as a civil traffic infraction unless prosecutors could prove independent reckless intent, the firm notes.
Because Jackson is accused of speeding through an active construction zone where workers were present, he could also face enhanced penalties. Florida law provides for doubled fines for speeding in a posted construction zone when workers are present. JSO says Jackson's speeding through that zone put the workers' lives in danger.
The open container citation stems from Florida Statute § 316.1936, which prohibits possessing an open container of alcohol in a vehicle on public roads. That statute classifies the offense as a moving traffic infraction punishable by fines up to $90 and three points on a driver's license, according to the Sammis Law Firm. On top of that citation, Jackson was also arrested and charged with DUI, a charge that under Florida Statute § 316.193 carries up to six months in jail, fines between $500 and $1,000, 50 mandatory community service hours, and a license revocation of 180 days to a year for a first offense, per the Jeff T. Gorman Law Offices.
Part of a Broader Crackdown on Jacksonville's Interstates
Jackson's arrest came at the hands of JSO's Specialized Traffic Enforcement Unit, which conducts targeted traffic enforcement. The unit has been busy this year: Jacksonville traffic officers reported issuing 46 criminal citations countywide under the new Super Speeder statute as of April, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
Jackson's case follows a string of similar arrests Hoodline has covered across Northeast Florida in recent months. In August, JSO arrested a 22-year-old driver clocked at 120 mph on the Buckman Bridge during Operation Double Down, a targeted weekend push against dangerous driving. That same month, officers on the Arlington Expressway clocked a 26-year-old driver at 105 mph in a 50 mph zone, charging him under the same excessive speeding statute, and an off-duty law enforcement officer intercepted a driver going 125 mph on I-95 near Palm Coast.
The enforcement push comes amid a sobering backdrop for Duval County roads. The county had recorded 127 traffic fatalities through early October, nearly matching the 130 fatal crashes logged during the same stretch of 2025, according to Jacksonville Sheriff's Office data reported by News4JAX. Open questions remain about Jackson's formal court dates, his blood alcohol concentration, and whether his defense will challenge the DUI charge or the traffic stop itself.
