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Police In New York Clock Motorcyclist Going 170 MPH

Nikkolaus McCarthy.
New York State Police
Nikkolaus McCarthy.

Talk about a heavy hand: State police say they clocked Nikkolaus McCarthy, 25,flying across the New York Thruway at 170 mph.

That's not a typo. Police said when they finally caught up with him 50 miles later and told McCarthy how fast he was going, he allegedly bragged saying his bike could break the 190 mph barrier.

The Albany Times Union reports:

"The 25-year-old McCarthy, of Charlton, was first spotted around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday by a trooper while zipping through Ravena at 166 miles per hour.

"When McCarthy slowed down for traffic, the trooper tried without success to pull him over but was able to jot down the license platenumber before the Saratoga County man sped off again.

"At that point the trooper abandoned the pursuit because of how fast McCarthy was going, but a description of the bike was broadcast over police scanners, police said."

Over the course of 50 miles, McCarthy was clocked going at 150 mph to 170 mph. He did 50 miles in 20 minutes. That's an average speed of 150 mph.

The Saratogian reports that McCarthy was charged "with third-degree fleeing police, reckless driving, misdemeanors, as well as speeding and operating out of class because he allegedly did not have his motorcycle license."

Update at 4:53 p.m. ET. Foot And Hand:

A reader pointed to our poor knowledge of motorcycles, saying "a heavy foot on a motorcycle would make you downshift." Indeed. Acceleration is controlled with your hand. We've changed the lede to reflect our enlightenment.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.