Speedy motorist nabbed for 'Mario Kart style driving': Cops
Share this @internewscast.com

Background: A California Highway Patrol officer detains a driver for alleged speeding on the highway (CHP Modesto). Inset: Mario Kart World (YouTube/Nintendo of America).

A California driver was busted after allegedly taking a video game-style joyride down a crowded highway.

The driver, who police nicknamed “Mario” — ostensibly after the iconic video game character of the same name — was spotted Sunday.

A announcement from the Modesto branch of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) stated, “Male arrested for Mario Kart style driving swerving in & out of traffic.” The driver, whose identity remains undisclosed, was taken into custody for reckless driving.

“Earlier today, the CHP – Modesto apprehended ‘Mario’ for reckless driving,” the statement noted. “Our Specially Marked Patrol Vehicle (SMPV) unit observed him exceeding speeds of 90 MPH while executing multiple hazardous lane changes and tailgating other drivers.”

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

The covert nature of the officers’ operation was by design, the CHP said.

“The SMPV is to blend in with traffic and catch dangerous motorists like this in the act,” the Facebook post said.

“Game Over,” the CHP added.

Under Golden State law, a person “who drives a vehicle upon a highway in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving.”

Reckless driving is a misdemeanor punishable by five to 90 days in jail and a fine ranging from $145 to $1,000.

More from Law&Crime: Teen driver ‘showing his friends how fast his new car was’ killed elderly married couple in high-speed crash, police say

According to the CHP, the agency launched its SMPV program — featuring a line of 2024 Dodge SUVs — in May, with the goal of nabbing “aggressive drivers endangering the lives of others.” The program specifically targets “aggressive lane weaving, triple-digit speeds and road rage” that law enforcement says are the trademarks of “video game-styled driving” on the highways.

As many as 100 such vehicles are expected to be deployed throughout the state in May.

“Blending in with the public allows us to catch them in the act,” the CHP noted, adding that the program notched its first catch within one mile from the agency’s Modesto office.

California sees nearly 400,000 car crashes annually, and nearly 1,000 daily reports of reckless driving. In 2024, the agency issued almost 18,000 citations to drivers going more than 100 miles per hour.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Judge Prohibits Crystal Rogers’ Convicted Killer from Liquidating Assets Before Wrongful Death Trial

Last week, a judge in Kentucky prohibited Brooks Houck, a wealthy convicted…

Man Receives Sentence for Killing and Dismembering a Drug Dealer

Bradley Allen Weyaus (Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office). A Minnesota man will…

Authorities are looking for a suspect connected to the slaying of a couple discovered deceased in an Arkansas park.

Police are searching for a suspect after a couple was attacked and…

Alabama Teen Accused of Fatally Beating Her 70-Year-Old Grandmother

An 18-year-old Alabama woman has been charged with the beating death of…

‘EXCLUSIVE: Epstein Allegedly Told Brother He Had Compromising Information’

Jeffrey Epstein’s brother Mark has revealed shock claims made by the disgraced…

Burglar Who Murdered Expectant Amish Woman Receives Prison Sentence

Inset: Shawn Christopher Cranston (Crawford County Correctional Facility). Background: Fish Flats Road,…

Gainesville Man Detained Following Forest Pursuit and Arrest Warrant

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Reginald Lawson Gill, 56, was apprehended yesterday…

Emily Pike: DCF Responds to Group Home Policies After Tragic Death of Young Indigenous Girl

An Arizona group home in Mesa, where the murdered Indigenous teenager Emily…

Driver Convicted for Fatal Crash That Claimed Two Lives at Restaurant

Left: Steven Bailey. Right: A video showing Bailey crashing into a crowded…

Couple Abducts Man’s Former Partner and Hits Her With Van

Left: Jordan Mangum. Right: Jessica Wheeler (Polk County Jail). An Iowa couple…

Trump urges quick testimony session for Rupert Murdoch

Left: President Donald Trump addresses the press during a gathering with Britain’s…

Tragic Incident: Mother Fatally Shoots Children’s Father During Daycare Pickup, Police Report

Left inset: Mindy Osteen (Bradford County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Christopher Jones…