Florida Man Leads Police On 130 MPH Motorcycle Chase

Today's sport bikes are fast, I mean unbelievably fast. How fast? Several years ago, the motorcycle builders got together and made a gentleman's agreement to not allow their bikes to go over 186 mph. Did you read that? They limited top speed to 186 mph! That means there are lots of street bikes that are capable of going 186 mph at any time...and that's if they are unmodified. With a couple of easy tweaks, many motorcycles can easily reach 200 mph. While it may seem as if 130 mph is a crazy speed, Florida man was absolutely capable of going much faster on his 2016 BMW S1000RR. Owning and riding a fast motorcycle takes self control.
Sometimes, however, the allure of speed can be difficult to resist. But that's why race tracks exist, where you can let the horses run in a more predicatble environment. Early in the morning on July 4th, police observed a 2016 BMW S1000RR traveling at a high rate of speed on I-275N . William Figueroa, 63, is accused of leading police on a high-speed chase after he passed through an Aggressive Driving Traffic Enforcement operation, which is a targeted procedure for the Florida Highway Patrol to catch people who are exhibiting signs of road rage or driving at very high speeds. Investigators say officers chased after the suspect with lights and sirens on, but he attempted to elude them. Estimated top speeds during the chase were around 130 mph. Officers say the man ran red lights, weaved in and out of traffic and drove in the emergency lane during the chase. Once police safely pulled the manover and questioned him, they say he told them he "felt like a kid" and "crazy and stupid" when he drove the bike. Now, under the a Florida Contraband Forfeiture Act, the state may confiscate the bike, which has a value of about $13,000. The man has enetered a plea of not guilty and has hired an attorney. Source: TampaFP.com

Tampa Law Enforcement has Cool Toys

Our Great-Grandchildren Are Gonna Love It

As you drive over the Howard Frankland Bridge, you see progress, but it's still pretty tough to imagine what all of this work is going to look like upon completion. Work won't finish until late 2025 according to the Florida Department of Transportation. The cost is expected to be about $865 million.

A new southbound/westbound (from Tampa to St. Pete) bridge is what you see currently being built north of the current southbound/westbound bridge. It'll have 8 lanes - 4 for general use and 4 express lanes. There's a bike and pedestrian path in the plan. The bridge we use now to go from Tampa to St. Pete will become the new northbound/eastbound part of 275 once the new bridge is ready. The bridge we use to go from St. Pete to Tampa will be taken down.

As of August 2023, 163 of the 226 bridge caps have been completed. 605 of the bridge superstructure beams have been place. 39 of the 133 bridge decks placed. You also may have noticed a new traffic flow on the south side (St. Pete side) of the bridge.

Not patient enough to wait until 2025 to see what this is all going to look like? Nor am I. Here's a sneak preview from artist renditions shared by the Florida Department of Transportation.

The bike sped through a check point...