A 36-year-old St. Petersburg man was arrested early Tuesday after troopers say he was driving more than 40 mph over the speed limit while impaired on Interstate 275.
According to an arrest affidavit, Kevin Pace, 36, was spotted around 4:18 a.m. driving southbound on I-275 near the Howard Frankland Bridge in Pinellas County. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper initially estimated the vehicle was traveling about 90 mph and later confirmed it at 93 mph in a posted 65 mph zone using radar.
The trooper reported that Pace then rapidly accelerated and changed lanes in traffic. After catching up to the vehicle, the trooper paced it at 111 mph, leading to a charge of dangerous excessive speeding, commonly known as Florida’s “super speeder” law.
According to the affidavit, Pace showed signs of impairment, including bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech, and the odor of alcohol. Investigators said Pace admitted to drinking a High Noon alcoholic beverage before driving.
Breath samples later registered 0.151 and 0.144, nearly double the legal limit of 0.08. Pace was arrested on charges of DUI and dangerous excessive speeding over 100 mph.