VALPARAISO, Ind. - A teenager charged with driving 142 mph along a four-lane divided highway said he was speeding home so his parents wouldn't be mad at him for being late, police said.
Brandon D. Raap, 16, faces speeding and misdemeanor reckless driving charges and could have his license suspended, police said.
Porter County sheriff's deputies stopped Raap along a rural stretch of U.S. 30 at 12:40 a.m. Saturday after a radar gun clocked his 2004 Subaru Impreza going almost 90 mph faster than the posted 55 mph limit, police said.
It might be the fastest speed ever recorded on the northwestern Indiana county's roads, said Porter County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Emmons.
"Most people's cars won't go that fast," he said.
Raap told police he was late getting home and didn't want his parents to be angry, Deputy John Brubaker said in his report. Raap told Brubaker he didn't have a curfew but is usually home by midnight.
Brubaker didn't arrest Raap, who had a valid Colorado license, but told him to drive straight home and call him within an hour. Raap's mother, Cindy Raap, called instead and Brubaker told her what happened.
The Associated Press left a message with Raap's parents at their home in Valparaiso seeking comment. They declined to comment when contacted by the Post-Tribune of Merrillville.
"Kids sort of have tunnel vision," Emmons said. "They're so concerned with not getting yelled at or grounded, they place other people's lives in jeopardy."
The highway has two lanes in each direction, divided by a median, and traffic is usually light that time of night, Emmons said.
Information from: Post-Tribune,
http://www.post-trib.com
A service of the Associated Press(AP)
