Report: Man arrested after driving 110+ mph on I-40 to go to bathroom

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - A man was arrested and will face several charges after driving over 110 miles per hour on I-40 without a license, according to a police report obtained by WVLT News.

On May 9, officers observed Mario Diaz, 24, operating a Nissan Sentra driving at a “high rate of speed” on I-40 West near West Hills. The report states that the radar recorded the vehicle’s speed at 111 miles per hour.

After a traffic stop was initiated, officers contacted Diaz, who reportedly could not provide proof of driver’s license or insurance.

When asked about his driving, he told police he “was trying to hurry back to their hotel because he needed to use the bathroom.”

The report states that the officers observed a woman, identified as Diaz’s girlfriend, in the vehicle’s passenger seat holding her one-year-old daughter unrestrained, sitting on her lap, police officials said.

She reportedly told police she was breastfeeding her daughter while they were traveling back to Motel 6 in Cedar Bluff.

Diaz was taken into custody and charged with reckless endangerment, driving without license and financial responsibility law. He is now being held for United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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