Olympian Arrested For Dangerous Excessive Speeding
Florida has always been a popular destination for driving fast. The wide streets laid out on a grid pattern practically invite you to drive at double the speed limit, as does I-95, with all those lanes and no traffic lights. Drivers in their mid-20s and younger are the most likely to succumb to this temptation; you might remember the saga of the University of Florida student who crashed while driving at mind-boggling speeds, causing an accident in which his girlfriend, who was riding in the passenger seat and whom he had known since childhood, suffered fatal injuries. Florida is also where athletes who have established a towering reputation go to take a victory lap. This is why, if you read the news in Florida long enough, you will probably eventually see mug shots of some of your fantasy draft picks. In January 2026, a sports star who has won medals at the Olympics was arrested for dangerous excessive speeding, a criminal charge only recently defined in Florida law. If you have been accused of driving so fast that a simple speeding ticket will not do, contact a Tampa traffic offenses lawyer.
When Running Fast Gets You a Medal but Driving Fast Gets You Criminal Charges
In July 2025, Florida enacted a law that defined the criminal offense of dangerous excessive speed as driving at least 50 miles per hour above the speed limit, for example, driving 75 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood where the speed limit is 25 miles per hour. Dangerous excessive speed is a misdemeanor offense, with a first conviction resulting in a $500 fine and a jail sentence of up to 30 days. For a second conviction, the fine is $1,000, and the maximum jail time is six months. The penalties can be worse if you get additional charges in connection to the incident, such as DUI or causing an accident resulting in serious bodily injury.
In January 2026, less than a year after the law went into effect, Sha’Carri Richardson was arrested in Orange County, Florida. Police say that she was driving at least 100 miles per hour when an officer flashed the blue lights. Richardson, a track and field athlete, won a gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Most of the news coverage of the incident focused on the excessive speed at which Richardson was driving at the traffic stop and on her previous athletic accomplishments. News sources did not even report the name of the road where she was pulled over or what make of car she was driving. The day after the arrest, information was not available about how much bail, if any, she had paid, or whether she had entered a plea.
Contact Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney Bryant Scriven
A criminal defense lawyer can help you get justice if you are facing criminal charges for dangerous excessive speed or other traffic crimes such as DUI or reckless driving. Contact Scriven Law in Tampa, Florida to schedule a consultation.
Sources:
nbcnews.com/news/us-news/olympian-shacarri-richardson-arrested-charge-speeding-100-mph-florida-rcna256603
abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/olympic-gold-medalist-shacarri-richardson-arrested-speeding/story?id=129684637
