26-06-2025
Driver going 185 km/h with infant in backseat was recording Snapchat video, troopers say
An undated image of a vehicle's internal speedometer accelerating beyond 110km/h. (File photo/plusphoto/GettyImages)
PUNTA GORDA, Florida (WBBH) -- A high-speed traffic stop on I-75 in Charlotte County has led to serious charges for a Port Charlotte man, after Florida Highway Patrol clocked him speeding at 115 miles per hour (185 km/h) —with a 10-month-old baby in the back seat.
The incident unfolded Sunday near the Harborview Road exit when troopers pulled over 29-year-old Charles Wheeler II.
State troopers said he was speeding, weaving in and out of traffic, tailgating other drivers, and using Snapchat on his phone while behind the wheel.
Wheeler's backseat passenger was his girlfriend's 10-month-old child. At one point, troopers said Wheeler nearly crashed while dodging a mattress on the highway.
After pulling Wheeler over, troopers arrested him on charges of reckless driving and child neglect.
On the way to the Charlotte County Jail, deputies say Wheeler's phone began blaring vulgar music in the patrol car.
When the trooper attempted to silence the device, he discovered a Snapchat video showing Wheeler's speedometer at 110 mph (177 km/h) with the caption, 'Good Vibes Only.'
By Madison Monroe Adams
