Earlier this April, the Connecticut State Police issued a press release detailing the arrest of a rider for reckless motorcycle operation on public roads within the state. According to the press release, he was "operating the motorcycle at speeds in excess of 190 mph."
Illegal, but impressive—and more importantly, it's not actually what the accompanying police report, which is publicly available, says. I'm not defending the guy, but I am saying that the numbers included in the police report don't match the inflated claim in the press release.
That's just one reason why relying solely on press releases does no one any favors—except maybe whoever wrote the press release. If you read or write anything yourself, it's worth keeping that fact in mind, as it definitely doesn't only apply to this specific situation.
Anyway, diving into the text of the report, there are a few things that are redacted. However, from context it's clear that they are the rider's YouTube and Instagram account names, and nothing else.
There's one statement from the investigating officer that says, "some videos show him traveling in excess of 150 miles per hour on various highways in Connecticut," another that cites a specific video by title where he went 104 miles per hour. Finally, a third instance of a high rate of speed is mentioned, referencing another YouTube video by title and noting that the guy was going 120 miles per hour. Those are fast, but they're not 190.
What bike(s) was he riding, you wonder? Not a Genuine Buddy 50; or at least, if he was, much like the 190 mph claim, it's not in the police report. The two videos cited by title are called "I Broke My CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP" and "BMW1000RR Vs Rush Hour Traffic."
The affidavit from the investigating officer included in this police report is interesting for additional reasons as well. Step by step, it lays out the course of investigation.
A complaint was made to the Connecticut governor's office about a YouTuber that was known to post videos of himself riding his motorcycle. The officer stated that they reviewed 72 videos that the rider had posted over the 2024 calendar year. They served search warrants to both Google and Meta to obtain account information for the guy's YouTube and Instagram accounts, upon which the officer says he'd posted the videos in question. Thus, they had the name the guy registered his accounts under.
In one Instagram reel, the affidavit states that the rider showed his face, so they were able to connect him to the offending videos (which are mostly onboards). The investigation also involved reviewing the comments left on those videos, and makes mention of some identifying specifics revealed in the comments in the affidavit.
The rider was arrested in December 2024 and charged with three counts: Reckless Driving, Failure to Drive in Proper Lane, and Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree. He was released after posting $5,000 bond.
Still, it appears that he's continued to post videos on his YouTube channel, even as he awaits sentencing later this month. Did his lawyer give him any advice on his YouTube channel? Who knows.
