A 21-year-old Saddleback Farms man already on probation for drug possession was arrested Friday after traffic cops say they clocked him more than doubling the speed limit on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway.
According to a probable cause statement, an officer was running a speed trap when he observed a black Toyota Camry westbound near Murphy Road just before 3 p.m. traveling at 83 mph in a 50-mph zone. After following the vehicle, the officer said the driver, identified as Justin Tommy Soto, reached a top speed of 106 mph before stopping near Hartman Road.
The police document states Soto was weaving through traffic, following too closely and forcing other motorists, including a semi-truck, to swerve to avoid a collision.
Soto was taken into custody and booked into the Pinal County jail on charges of criminal speeding, reckless driving and aggressive driving. His car was towed from the scene.
Arizona law defines aggressive driving as committing multiple traffic offenses simultaneously while posing a hazard to others. The charge carries up to six months in jail, three years’ probation, over $4,500 in fines and a possible license suspension.
Oddly enough, this is the second time in recent days a driver has been caught on radar going exactly 83 mph in the same 50-mph stretch of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway — and punished for it. One week earlier, an Uber driver with a passenger aboard was cited for criminal speeding and no valid license after sheriff’s deputies pulled him over in nearly identical circumstances.
