There’s being a diehard fan of a TV show, then there’s being such a big fan that you will go so far as to completely disregard the law in order not to miss a minute of an episode of the show.
Last week, a trooper with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Highway Patrol arrested a woman and charged her with going 108 miles per hour. When the Highway Patrol Trooper caught the unidentified woman driving on State Route 347, she was going an astounding 43 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.
The reason for her excessive speed? Because she was rushing home in an effort to be there in time to catch the latest episode of Love Island.
Peacock airs new episodes of assorted Love Island series every day except Wednesday. Tuesday’s episode of Love Island USA included the first “America’s Vote” segment of the season, in which America determines the fate of the islanders through a public poll.
According to an AZDPS Highway Patrol post on Facebook, she “stated she was trying to get home fast to be able to watch the reality TV show Love Island. Highway Patrol arrested and booked the driver for criminal speed and reckless driving, and they impounded the vehicle for 20 days.
Charging someone with ‘criminal speed’ constitutes a serious offense
Arizona law states that exceeding the posted speed limit by 20 mph or more or exceeding 85 mph anywhere in the state constitutes “criminal speed,” which is a class 3 misdemeanor. This driver qualified on both counts.
Although first-time offenders rarely serve any jail time, a conviction can result in fines, a criminal record, and points against the driver’s license. Since the authorities impounded her car, the driver will also be liable for the costs of towing, daily storage, and any other administrative fees.
She will certainly pay a high price just to see which three new members the show introduced to the Love Island villa as it happened, rather than just streaming it later.