Clearwater motorcyclists caught speeding, some above 100 mph, police say
CLEARWATER, Fla. (FOX 13) - Clearwater police began busting bad bikers over the weekend, announcing several arrests Tuesday of motorcyclists accused of unsafe driving on two major roadways.
Officers conducted a crackdown focusing on the Courtney Campbell Causeway and U.S. 19, where they clocked some motorcyclists driving between 120 and 135 miles per hour.
"It happens on any long stretch of road that you don't really have stoplights, such as 19 or the Courtney Campbell Causeway," said Rob Shaw, a spokesperson for the Clearwater Police Department. "It's that type of driving behavior that is just an accident waiting to happen, not only for the motorcyclist himself or herself, but also for say an innocent family who might pull out and not even see that motorcycle coming at that speed."
Police arrested eight people who now face charges including reckless driving, fleeing and eluding police, along with a variety of drug and alcohol offenses. Officers also wrote several more traffic tickets to bikers who were driving unsafely.
"If that's the way you get your thrills, then you should perhaps go to Busch Gardens or a theme park or something," Shaw added. "A highway is no place to get your thrills and to try to get your need for speed."
Shaw said the crackdown will continue, but officers are not planning to reveal where or when the patrols will occur.