Latvian police pursued a BMW driver at speeds reaching 124 mph on March 1, after the driver initially disregarded a traffic stop and fled. The incident underscores the ongoing challenges authorities face with reckless driving and the need for consistent traffic enforcement.
On Sunday, March 1, officers with the State Police’s Traffic Safety Management Bureau’s Special Assignments Unit observed a BMW exceeding the speed limit on Gustava Zemgala Street in Riga. According to police reports, the vehicle accelerated past a police cruiser in a zone with a 43 mph speed limit, reaching 74 mph.
When officers signaled the BMW to pull over, the driver instead accelerated, prompting a pursuit. Police repeatedly ordered the driver to stop, but the vehicle continued to flee towards Viestura prospekts, eventually reaching speeds of up to 124 mph.
The pursuit continued in the direction of Bergi, with the driver repeatedly violating traffic laws. Additional police units were called in to assist. Eventually, a police vehicle positioned itself to block the fleeing BMW on Jaunciema gatve, resulting in a collision and the vehicle’s eventual stop.
Investigations revealed the driver was born in 2005.
In a separate incident on Saturday, March 7, police issued multiple speeding tickets along the A8 highway, connecting Riga to Jelgava and the Lithuanian border. One BMW driver was caught traveling at 100 mph in a 55 mph zone, resulting in a €900 fine and a nine-month driving ban. Another BMW driver was fined €1700 and lost driving privileges for 12 months after being clocked at 110 mph in a 56 mph zone.
Two additional BMW drivers were cited on March 7 for excessive speed – one traveling at 93 mph and another at 92 mph – receiving fines and driving bans of nine and three months, respectively. Police also discovered that one of these drivers had a prior driving ban, lacked valid vehicle insurance, had not paid vehicle tax, and the vehicle was not properly registered or inspected.
Over the weekend, police recorded a total of 432 speeding violations. The State Police reminds drivers that exceeding the speed limit poses a significant risk to both the driver and other road users.
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