Orlando Perez, 19, has been arrested after Connecticut state police say he was caught driving nearly 150 mph on Interstate 395.
The Groton teenager was allegedly barreling through Putnam in a BMW M3 on Wednesday night when a trooper clocked him at 147 mph, more than double the posted 65 mph speed limit, according to WTNH. The officer pulled him over in Danielson and took him into custody around 9 p.m.
He was released on a $1,000 non-surety bond after being charged with reckless driving.
The vehicle Perez was driving, a BMW M3, carries a starting price of $80,000 for the base model, according to Edmunds.
Perez is scheduled to appear in Danielson Superior Court on Oct. 21.
The arrest highlights a pattern of dangerous high-speed driving incidents involving young motorists in powerful vehicles across the region. Earlier this month, an unlicensed teen was clocked at 115 mph in a BMW X1 packed with seven people, including two minors, according to Carscoops. That driver, whose name was not released, was also stopped by police after being spotted on radar.
State police have not disclosed whether Perez was licensed to operate the M3, or whether any passengers were in the vehicle with him at the time of the stop. The arrest report also does not indicate whether Perez has any prior driving violations.
Law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned that modern high-performance vehicles, increasingly accessible to younger drivers, can reach lethal speeds within seconds on highway stretches. The M3 in particular is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in under four seconds in its latest configurations.
The Putnam-Danielson corridor of I-395 has seen multiple serious crashes in recent years, though state police did not connect Perez’s arrest to any specific broader enforcement push. The Wednesday night stop resulted in no injuries or property damage beyond the traffic violation itself.
Perez’s court date in Danielson falls on Oct. 21.