Impounded Dodge Viper turned into cop car

Posted Fri Jun 22 2007 8:26 AM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

A man charged with doing 127mph in a 35 zone in Illinois has had his car turned over to local police, who have subsequently converted it into a patrol car. The car in question is a black 2000 model-year Dodge Viper with a cognac leather interior. Since joining the police fleet, the Viper has been given a new black and white paintjob and fitted with a siren and lights.

The car been enlisted into the police’s D.A.R.E. unit and will be used at community events, block parties, parades and schools, reports the Herald News.

The reason for the harsh penalty is not only because of speeding, but because police had to chase the driver, who continued to swerve through traffic and attempted to hide in a parking lot.

While being fingerprinted, the driver requested that the car be stored under shelter because of its like-new condition. Little did he know that he was about to lose the keys to his pride and joy.

Reader Comments

Sun Jun 24 2007 2:01 AM
Vik says

127 in a 35 zone is insane. Normally I don\'t agree with speeding fines or the like but that just sounds dangerous.
Sun Jun 24 2007 11:50 AM
Gus says

Fully agree. Losing the car is the least that should happen.
Thu Jun 28 2007 9:12 AM
jj says

As with any other violation, the specific circumstances need to be examined. I've seen 35mph zones in sections of very wide roads in rural areas, placed there for the sole purpose of collecting revenue in the form of speeding tickets. 125mph may have been perfectly safe in that situation when performed by a skilled driver. In fact, it may have been safer than a 75-year old doing 30, as was proven early last year when an old man had a heart attack and plowed into a grocery store in San Francisco.

Additionally, the man might not have seen the lights of the police car, so claiming that he was attempting to "hide" may be a blatant lie.

I have complete respect for the rule of law, but find it unacceptable that a person's right to property has been so grievously violated. And the police relishing their booty by converting it into a police car is just sickening.

Speeding laws are already ambiguous. Now some states have anti-cellphone laws. They're finding more and more reasons to fine you, without you endangering anybody's life. Complacently allowing it to move to the next level, where they can just take your property, is a bad precedent to sit back and let happen. Watch out. You just might be next.
Sun Aug 26 2007 2:18 AM
Tony says

Although I agree that the nature of speeding is relevant to the circumstances, the article did state he was "swerving through traffic." Although, then again, that could just mean passed one car. But the nature of taking the car may not be as outrageous as you stated. Impounded cars are sold regularly and all it would legally take is for the Some City, Illinois PD be the highest bidder. Impounded cars are only sold if the original owner is somehow unable to pay the impoundment fees or the impoundment period ends and he has not paid his fine or for return of his car. Personally I believe the relevance of the case is largely circumstantial based on the actual danger of the speeding.

MotorAuthority