Florida teens caught riding on top of SUV going 40 mph, cited; police say
Teen arrested after passengers ride atop moving SUV, police say
A 19-year-old driver was arrested after police said he drove an SUV with several people riding on the roof and hanging from the vehicle along a busy Orange County roadway.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - A late-night joyride for a group of young adults in Florida ended with multiple citations and an arrest after a police officer spotted multiple people on the roof of an SUV as the driver drove down the street.
"We're all for making memories with friends, but becoming a traffic safety lesson isn't the kind of memory anyone should be aiming for," the Belle Isle Police Department said in a Facebook post.
Credit: Belle Isle Police Department/Facebook
The backstory:
According to the Belle Isle Police Department, an officer was conducting traffic enforcement early Monday morning when the officer spotted an SUV driving through an intersection with multiple people apparently hanging out on top of the vehicle.
That officer estimated that the vehicle was going between 40-45 mph, according to the report. It also noted that the radio was so loud that it could be heard from at least 75 feet away.
Behind the wheel of the vehicle was 19-year-old Gary Mathurin, the police department said. He was arrested and booked into jail for reckless driving and ticketed for every person who was riding on top of the vehicle.
Tickets were also issued to those caught riding on top of the vehicle.
Caught on video
The Belle Isle Police Department posted Mathurin's arrest on its Facebook page, as well as a recording from a traffic camera.
According to the report, the officer said there was a strong smell of alcohol and marijuana inside the vehicle, which led to a search. Inside, the officer found a bottle of whiskey, a handgun, and a bag with a pipe inside of it, the report said.
The passenger who was seated closest to the whiskey bottle was cited for having an open container, the report said, and released.
The Source: The information used in the article is from the Belle Isle Police Department and the arrest affidavit.