Man without motorcycle endorsement arrested after allegedly going 153 mph

CEDAR CITY — An 18-year-old man without a motorcycle endorsement was arrested Monday and accused of reaching 153 mph while weaving through traffic, including nearly 100 mph in a 40-mph zone.

On Monday about 9:30 a.m., a motorcycle passed an Iron County sheriff's deputy on I-15 while going an estimated 120 mph to 130 mph, according to a police booking affidavit. The deputy then called for backup and went after the motorcycle rider.

"As I attempted to catch up to the motorcycle, my patrol speeds reached 140 to 145 mph and I noticed I was not closing the distance," the affidavit states.

At one point, the deputy watched the motorcycle "split the center lane and go between a semi and a passenger vehicle," according to the affidavit.

Backup law enforcement slowed down other traffic, allowing the deputy to catch up to the motorcycle and pull the rider over. The man "did not have his license in his possession and stated he just bought the bike" and "was found operating the motorcycle with no motorcycle endorsement, registration or insurance," according to the affidavit.

The deputy then served a search warrant on the GoPro camera attached to the rider's helmet.

"The GoPro video revealed the moments leading up to the traffic stop," according to the affidavit. The video included the man leaving his residence and reaching "speeds of up to or close to 100 mph in a 40 mph zone," passing other vehicles "in (a) no passing zone marked with double yellow center lines," and getting on I-15 where he "reached speeds of up to 153 mph. (He) maintained speeds between 140 to 150 mph nearly the entire time until he was brought to a stop."

The man was booked into the Iron County Jail for investigation of 10 misdemeanors and infractions, including reckless driving, exhibition driving on the freeway, and not having insurance or a motorcycle endorsement.

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