VERO BEACH — A motorcyclist was arrested Monday night after deputies say he reached speeds of 143 mph on a stretch of U.S. Highway 1 in Vero Beach where the posted limit is 45 mph.
The stop happened around 9:43 p.m. March 30 as an Indian River County sheriff’s deputy was conducting speed enforcement in the 400 block of the highway, according to the arrest report.
The deputy spotted a black motorcycle sitting stationary roughly three cars ahead in his southbound lane. When the traffic light turned green, the motorcycle accelerated away from the intersection, changed lanes and quickly opened a large gap between itself and the rest of the traffic.
The deputy estimated the motorcycle’s speed at about 140 mph. His calibrated Stalker DSR 2X radar unit then showed 143 mph, a reading that matched the Doppler tone, the report said.
As the motorcycle continued southbound in the right lane, it rapidly closed in on another vehicle ahead. The rider then made an improper lane change without signaling to avoid a collision, authorities said.
The deputy initiated a traffic stop near the 900 block of South U.S. Highway 1. The driver, identified by his Florida driver’s license as Matthew Louis Onate, was ordered off the motorcycle.
The deputy told Onate he was being detained for traveling 98 mph over the posted speed limit. Onate was handcuffed and placed in the rear of the patrol vehicle. He was transported to the Indian River County Jail without further incident.
He was charged with dangerous excessive speeding under Florida Statute 316.1922(1)(A), which applies when a driver exceeds the limit by 50 mph or more. The statute defines “dangerous excessive speeding” as a criminal offense, not just a traffic infraction. It is a criminal misdemeanor, with penalties including up to 30 days in jail or a $500 fine for a first conviction.
