New Wrinkle on Speeding Excuses: In a Hurry to Iron a Shirt

A St. Charles man who police clocked going 66 in a 35 mph zone before he reportedly ran a red light told the officer who arrested him that he was in a hurry to get home to iron his shirt, according to a report on the incident.

James Hugh Lee Smithey, 23, of the 200 block of Walnut Drive, was charged at 12:04 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2013, with speeding, 30 to 39 mph over the posted 35 mph limit, disobeying a traffic-control device, and driving on a suspended license.

An officer using radar caught Smithey driving 66 in a 35 mph zone in the 2400 block of West Main Street, and then watched Smithey drive through a red light while making a right turn onto Randall Road. The officer activated the squad’s emergency lights and went in pursuit of Smithey, who had stopped in the left-turn lane at Oak Street.

The report states that as northbound vehicles on Randall stopped upon seeing the squad’s emergency lights, Smithey became upset and began yelling at the cars. Then, the report states, he noticed the squad car behind him.

Smithey pulled his vehicle into the parking lot at Fox View Apartments, got out and started walking toward the apartments when the officer told him to stop. The officer arrested Smithey when police discovered his driver’s license had been suspended.

Police Blotter information is provided by the St. Charles Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.

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