Houston police chief writes 140 mph speeding ticket to driver of Dodge Viper

If you ever find yourself in front of daunting red and blue lights, be thankful they don’t belong to Houston’s top cop – like one Houston driver experienced Friday.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo was driving on the Hardy Toll Road when the driver of a Dodge Viper allegedly blew past him at 140 mph, the chief told Chron.com

“It almost took my doors off,” Acevedo said describing the moment

He radioed the driver into police dispatch and gave chase in his police Chevrolet Tahoe, topping out around 120 mph, he said.

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The Viper eventually pulled over on the side of the toll road, Acevedo said.

Acevedo said the man told him he’d been going 140 mph for about 30 seconds, managing to travel a little more than a mile in that time.

Acevedo wrote the driver a $304 ticket for the traffic violation.

On Twitter, Acevedo noted that he could have arrested the driver but opted to give the driver a ticket instead, citing the “totality of the circumstances, including flow of traffic, etc.”

His last high-speed ticket went to a driver traveling at 130 mph, he said.

“I’ve been a cop for 33 years,” Acevedo said. “It’s never too late to experience something new.”

Acevedo said he’s happy to be doing the same work that his officers do day in and day out on the streets of Houston, whether it’s helping catch bad guys or solving other crimes.

“It’s not my first time,” he said, “and it won’t be my last.”