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Speeding driver was recording himself standing through car’s sunroof, Florida cops say

The suspect was pulled over near the intersection of U.S. 27 and Hooks Street in Clermont, Florida, police said.
The suspect was pulled over near the intersection of U.S. 27 and Hooks Street in Clermont, Florida, police said. Street View image from Aug. 2022. © 2024 Google

A car doing 77 in a 45-mph zone easily gets attention, but one Florida cop saw something far stranger when the driver also appeared to be standing through the speeding car’s sunroof, investigators say.

And, he was recording himself doing it, according to the Clermont Police Department.

The odd scene played out around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 31, when a police sergeant “observed the defendant extending from the sunroof of his vehicle while traveling 77 mph in a 45-mph zone,” police said in a news release.

“Further investigation revealed that the defendant was recording a video of himself and sent it out in a text while driving,” officials said.

“He had an open container of alcohol (a Bud Light) as well as possession of a controlled substance (Oxycodone) without a prescription.”

Coincidentally, the 22-year-old driver was out of jail on bond “for previous felony crimes in other jurisdictions,” police said.

When questioned, the driver noted he had the vehicle set on cruise control when he climbed onto the center console with his head, chest and stomach extending through the roof, according to an affidavit. As for why he was standing outside the sunroof, the driver said an auxiliary cord “got caught,” the report states.

The driver said he was returning from an Easter event with his family at the time of the traffic stop, the report states.

The driver, who lives in Clermont, was arrested and charged with reckless driving and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, a third-degree felony, police said.

Clermont is about a 25-mile drive west from Orlando.

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This story was originally published April 4, 2024 at 8:08 AM with the headline "Speeding driver was recording himself standing through car’s sunroof, Florida cops say."

MP
Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
Mark Price is a state reporter for The Charlotte Observer and McClatchy News outlets in North Carolina. He joined the network of newspapers in 1991 at The Charlotte Observer, covering beats including schools, crime, immigration, LGBTQ issues, homelessness and nonprofits. He graduated from the University of Memphis with majors in journalism and art history, and a minor in geology. 
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