CHP Busts String of Sports Cars Speeding on Highways 101, 154

The Buellton office of the California Highway Patrol announced on its Facebook page Wednesday afternoon it had busted a number of “high-end vehicles traveling at high speeds” through the area. 

Accompanying the post was a photo of a traffic stop on Highway 101 involving a Porsche, Ferrari, and Lamborghini, all painted white. The CHP also reported other sports cars making illegal passes and driving recklessly on Highway 154.

With the assistance of an air support unit, “we were able to take the appropriate enforcement actions and slow several of these drivers down,” the CHP said. The Buellton office had received a tip that groups of fast-moving vehicles were heading their way, and officers issued seven total tickets, the department said.

A number of Facebook commenters speculated the speedsters were en route to Monterey Car Week, a weeklong event that draws car enthusiasts from all over California. Some said they had witnessed the shenanigans firsthand. 

“I had two [of] this type of car driving on HWY 41 this afternoon just passing everyone,” said Turlock resident Jayme Burnett-Seay. “About 30 came through Castaic in the morning driving so recklessly,” wrote Mike Brooks.

The busts call to mind an incident last November when the driver of a Lamborghini was cited for for going 152mph on Highway 154, 97mph over the speed limit. Los Angeles County resident Zhan John Akopyan challenged the ticket but was found guilty of the infraction. He was fined $1,950 and his license was suspended for 30 days.

In response to chronic speeding and other safety concerns along the mountainous, two-lane highway, Santa Barbara County officials created the State Route 154 Safety Committee. The committee’s last meeting was in June, where various mitigation efforts were discussed, including increased enforcement.