99 MPH Taco Bell run, excited baker among busted Minnesota speeders

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) - A driver going 99 mph in a 65 mph zone “trying to make it to Taco Bell before it closed,” and a driver excited to get home to start baking with a borrowed cake pan were among the speeders cited by Minnesota troopers and local police during a July speed enforcement campaign.

More than 300 law enforcement agencies in Minnesota participated in the extra speed enforcement campaign from July 6 to July 22. Troopers, sheriff’s deputies and local police officers issued 14,661 speeding citations and 1,625 seat belt citations. Those numbers are down from last year.

2017: 16,580 speed citations and 1,781 seat belt citations
2016: 13,214 speed citations and 1,543 seat belt citations
2015: 16,410 speed citations and 2,101 seat belt citations
2014: 16,926 speed citations and 2,315 seat belt citations
2013: 17,415 speed citations and 2,839 seat belt citations

Best of the worst excuses

Some of the excuses and traffic stops law enforcement encountered include:

“Trying to make it to Taco Bell before it closed.” (99 mph in 65 mph zone)

“Just picked up a glass cake pan from a friend, excited to get home and start cooking.”  (45 mph in 35 mph zone)

A motorcyclist riding 120 mph in a 50 mph zone. He recently bought the motorcycle and wanted to go fast. His best friend died in a motorcycle crash this year.

Two different troopers cited the same driver for the same speed about 32 minutes apart. (79 mph in 60 mph zone) 

“Trying to get air in the truck since the AC is broken.” (75 mph in 65 mph zone)

“I was going nowhere near the speed limit. You got me.” (83 mph in 55 mph zone)