A 19-year-old Iowa man admitted driving his Honda Accord at speeds up to 120mph but claimed he wasn’t trying to break the law. Instead, Nicholas Bernard told Johnson County police that he put the pedal to the metal simply “because a good song came on his stereo,” per a court order obtained by The Smoking Gun.
- Another motorist called 911 as he sped by. The caller was concerned after noticing Bernard’s reckless driving and told dispatchers that he was “swerving all over the road.” The caller was presumably worried that Bernard might end up killing someone else or himself by traveling at such high speeds. A sheriff’s deputy was dispatched around 9:15 p.m.
- While traveling along 380 North, a trooper noticed Bernard speed past at 100mph. The trooper managed to pull Nicholas Bernard over and get him out of the vehicle. When questioned, the teenager admitted he’d actually gone much faster. He claimed to have traveled as fast as 120mph at one point because a good song came on his stereo. At least he was honest!
- A search of his vehicle landed him in even more hot water. After the trooper asked for Bernard’s registration, he opened his glove box and the trooper noticed a large quantity of marijuana. A further search found a pipe and wax-making materials in the vehicle. While he was only going to get a speeding ticket at that point, suddenly things got a whole lot more serious.
- Bernard was arrested and booked into Johnson County Jail. He faces charges of controlled substance possession and possession of drug paraphernalia. Despite these being misdemeanor charges, if convicted, he could spend up to 13 months behind bars. It’s unclear when he’s next due in court to answer the charges against him. However, he has been released from jail in the meantime after an overnight stay.
