On Sunday evening, a Florida man was driving his Honda down US Highway 19 when police reportedly saw him racing down the road and operating his vehicle recklessly.
An officer with the Tarpon Springs Police Department initiated a traffic stop and approached the driver, identified as 52-year-old Jon Earl Pickard from Palm Beach.
The highway reportedly had a posted speed limit of 55 miles-per-hour, but the officer alleged that Pickard was going approximately 35-miles over the maximum.
According to the arrest report, when speaking to the officer about the reason for his allegedly highly accelerated rate of travel Pickard was recorded as sharing that he was in a rush because he was having an extramarital affair and he needed to return home to his wife promptly.
His alleged excuse for the dangerous driving was deemed unacceptable to the officers and Pickard was read his rights and placed under arrest for his reported breakneck travel velocity.
One of the arresting officers performed a search on Pickard as he was being taken into custody, and a bag with what was purported to be a rock of crack cocaine was allegedly tucked inside a pocket in his shirt.
The object inside the bag was field-tested and allegedly showed a positive result for cocaine.
The suspect allegedly chose to waive his right to remain silent and told the officers that he picked up the bag of drugs for $50 on a whim.
Pickard was taken to the county jail and charged with one misdemeanor count of reckless driving, in addition to one felony count of drug possession. He was jailed in lieu of $2250 until later that night, and he is scheduled to appear in court for the charges at the beginning of December.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.