Man Caught Speeding 35mph Over Limit Slapped With $1.4M Ticket

After being fined $1.4 million for exceeding the speed limit by 35 mph, a driver in Georgia will most likely avoid speeding in the future.

Credit: WSAV

It's always frustrating to get a punishment for careless driving, an excellent way to learn your lesson. 

However, Connor Cato experienced it more than most after he was stopped in Savannah, Georgia, last month.

It's actually not surprising that a police officer was after Cato as he was speeding at 90 mph in a 55 mph zone.

Speaking with WSAV-TV, Cato said that he was aware he would receive a ticket, but he was unaware of the full extent of the fine.

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The driver was hit with a seven-figure fine of $1.4 million, which isn't exactly the kind of money you have stashed away for a rainy day.

Cato called the court to try to have things straightened out because he was certain that the figure had to be a misprint.

Unfortunately, Cato only got the number verified by the court.

“‘$1.4 million,’ the lady told me on the phone," Cato recalled. "I said, ‘This might be a typo’ and she said, ‘No sir, you either pay the amount on the ticket or you come to court on Dec. 21 at 1:30 p.m'."

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Just as surprised as Cato, criminal defense lawyer Sneh Patel told the local outlet: "Not $1.4 million — that’s something that goes into cases that are drug trafficking, murders or aggravated assaults, something of that nature."

To ensure the appearance of "super speeders" in court, the Savannah Records Court has established these fines as standard procedure in the town. WSAV-TV was informed of this practice.

A person who exceeds the speed limit by more than thirty-five miles per hour is considered a "super speeder."

Cato won't actually need to find $1.4 million to give away, though.

A representative for the city of Savannah, Joshua Peacock, clarified that the amount is produced by the e-citation software used by the local Recorder's Court. This software automatically applies the fines to super speeders.

The judge during Cato's required court appearance will determine the actual fine, which cannot exceed $1,000, along with state-mandated fees.

“We do not issue that placeholder as a threat to scare anybody into court, even if this person heard differently from somebody in our organization,” Peacock said in a statement.

“The programmers who designed the software used the largest number possible because super speeder tickets are a mandatory court appearance and do not have a fine amount attached to them when issued by police.”

The city has been utilizing the method since 2017, however, Peacock noted that in order to prevent any confusion, "currently working on adjusting the placeholder language."