Two Florida students sped over 30 mph over speed limit claiming to be late for class

ORLANDO, Fla. - The stretch of Apopka-Vineland Road, near Olympia High School, is a 45-mph zone. Orange County Deputies say the posted speed-limit signs didn't keep a high school student from going 96mph on this street. Deputies say the student had been driving for less than a year. He claimed he didn't want to be late for school.

Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Lt. Patrick Riordan says speeding happens too often on Florida’s roads. "It makes, with these type of violations that we see every day unfortunately, it requires people to hone and continue watching their defensive driving."

This was the second student in the last few weeks' law enforcement says sped on the way to school. FHP said they pulled-over UF student Joseph Melhado in Gainesville going 116-mph on Interstate 75, where the speed limit is 70. "I was honestly just trying to make it to class," Melhado told the trooper who pulled him over.

Highway Patrol said Melhado was charged with speeding and reckless driving. The trooper told the student he put other people's lives in danger. "Back there, coming down that hill," the trooper said, "and then you used all three lanes, cut-off several cars, you're reckless, man. You're gonna get somebody killed."

Both students will have to face a judge because they were going more than 30mph over the speed limit. The class the Melhado told troopers he was speeding attend, turned out to be canceled.