A young learner driver in Naples, Florida has been arrested and charged for leading police on a high-speed chase where he said he felt like he was in Grand Theft Auto.
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office clocked a 22-year-old driving a Nissan SUV at 117 mph (188 km/h) in a 70 mph (113 km/h) zone on Interstate 75 near Pine Ridge Road last Wednesday morning at around 12:15 a.m. Police immediately gave chase but say that the driver ignored their lights and sirens and accelerated to over 120 mph (193 km/h).
The chase continued as he left the freeway at the Immokalee Road exit before proceeding to blast through a red light and driving over an area of grass near Northbrooke Plaza Drive. He then came to a stop at the entrance to the Cypress Trace Community where he was swiftly arrested.
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Local authorities have hit the 22-year-old with a felony charge of fleeing with eluding and also cited him for speeding and driving permit violations.
While being transported to the Collier County Jail by police, the man told a police deputy that he felt as though he was in Grand Theft Auto during the chase. Police didn’t take too kindly to this excuse.
“This might have felt like a game to this individual, but in reality he put the lives of other motorists and our deputies at risk with his reckless driving and excessive speed,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in a social media post. “He will now be held accountable for his actions.”