Teen accused of driving more than 100 mph on Cape Coral Parkway

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

18-year-old Joden Grote was arrested in Cape Coral after being clocked at 101 mph, more than 60 miles over the speed limit, just after midnight on Cape Coral Parkway East. He was stopped less than a half a mile before the Cape Coral Bridge.

Drivers expressed relief that no one was hurt. Some residents were surprised by the incident.

"I won't see it, but, you know, obviously, it's happening," said Bronson Layton of Cape Coral.

Others, like Carlos Ward, were less shocked.

"Criminals going to be criminals. The laws are made for the law-abiding citizens," Ward said. "The criminals don't care. They'll still break the law."

A new law passed in July makes it a misdemeanor for drivers to exceed 100 mph or go 50 mph over the speed limit. According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Grote is at least the twelfth driver arrested under this new rule.

"We let him know, obviously, that his speed was incredibly reckless, and he seemed to indicate that he didn't think he was going 101. He thought he was going 80," said Officer Mercedes Simonds with the Cape Coral police. "80 miles per hour does not make it better."

Ward expressed relief that Grote was stopped and hopes for consequences. "I'm glad he got caught because he didn't get caught, he's going to do it again, and somebody would get hurt," Ward said.

Grote has been stopped by Cape Coral police before, having been ticketed in September twice for careless driving and speeding.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.