A driver is facing reckless driving and endangerment accusations after Arizona state troopers say they clocked a gray 2023 BMW M2 racing down Loop 202 near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 170 mph in a 65 mph zone. The driver allegedly cut across every lane of traffic to reach the McClintock Drive exit, and when troopers caught up with the car off the freeway, they found it had no license plate.
Troopers Clock Car Near Sky Harbor Boulevard
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, as reported by azfamily.com, a trooper spotted the BMW passing traffic extremely fast on Monday near Sky Harbor Boulevard. Using a lidar device, the trooper measured the car’s speed at 170 mph in the posted 65 mph zone, the station reports. DPS said the driver then veered from the far-left lane, across traffic, and into the exit lane for McClintock Drive before troopers were able to catch up with him.
Once stopped, the car’s missing license plate added another wrinkle to the encounter, the outlet reports. Authorities did not release the driver’s identity in connection with the arrest, according to the same report.
Driver’s Shifting Account of His Speed
The driver initially told troopers he had been going 110 to 115 mph, then changed his account, saying he did not know how fast he was driving, per the station’s report. He also told troopers he was on his way to trade in the car and wanted one last drive before handing it over, the outlet notes.
DPS was quoted putting the top speed in blunt terms for drivers unfamiliar with just how fast 170 mph really is: at that speed, the car was covering about 250 feet per second, or almost an entire football field every second, according to the same account relayed by azfamily.com. The driver now faces accusations of reckless driving and endangerment, DPS said, though no court records, case number, or hearing date have been made public.
What Arizona Law Says About the Charges
Under Arizona law, a person who drives a vehicle in reckless disregard for the safety of persons or property can be found guilty of reckless driving, according to the Arizona Legislature. Separately, state law defines endangerment as recklessly placing another person at substantial risk of imminent death or physical injury, per the Arizona Legislature.
The incident was also covered by FOX 10 Phoenix, which confirmed the arrest following the alleged 170 mph run on Loop 202. DPS said it provided the information in the case through a social media statement rather than a formal press release.
