Mark Whittaker likes fast cars. He likes to push them to their limits, just to see what they can handle, and records the process for posterity. And he isn’t the only one. Thousands of people all over the world like fast cars. Just look at NASCAR.
But the problem is, Whittaker isn’t a race car driver. He isn’t even on a race track. He’s just a regular guy, pushing his vehicle upwards of 150 mph, on regular roads. And posting the videos of his exploits to Facebook.
According to the Michigan State Police, Whittaker is a “reckless driver” who endangers other motorists and puts people’s lives on the line. The investigation into his vehicular exploits revealed that this has happened multiple times, a supposition supported by the two videos posted to Whittaker’s Facebook page.
In one video he is driving at 140 mph, in another he reaches 160 mph. During several portions of the videos, he is driving with his knees in order to record the speedometer and the view through the windshield.
Whittaker admitted to the speeding
MSP troopers tracked Whittaker down and visited him at his house. There they talked to him about the videos he had posted online. Whittaker admitted to the speeding, saying that he liked performance cars and he liked driving at high speed. According to the police, he had no other explanation for his choices.
The MSP turned the results of their investigation over to the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s Office, as the incidents are believed to have taken place on US-131 in Kalamazoo County. However Jeff Getting, the Kalamazoo County Prosecutor, recently released a statement in which he explains why Whittaker will not be facing charges.
First, he points out that there were no witnesses to the events, and the videos themselves cannot be authenticated, and therefore cannot be used as evidence in court. “Without independent evidence that the crime occurred the suspect’s statement is not admissible.” the statement explains. “The investigation has not established admissible evidence that proves the suspect’s guilt of a criminal charge.”
Luckily for Whittaker, he will not be facing any charges for his “reckless driving”. But we would advise all of our clients to obey the rules of the road, both for their own safety and for the safety of others. Â You may not be as lucky as Mark Whittaker.