A Leesburg man with 11 prior license suspensions was arrested and charged as a habitual offender after being stopped for speeding in his Mercedes on Wednesday morning.
Shortly after 9 a.m., a Leesburg Police officer observed a grey Mercedes with a temporary tag traveling approximately 63 mph in a 45-mph zone northbound on U.S. 441 near Lake Avenue. The officer used radar to confirm the vehicle’s speed of 65 mph, according to the police report.
The officer initiated the traffic stop and the vehicle pulled into the Auto Styles parking lot at 902 E. North Blvd. The officer spoke with the driver, 31-year-old Charles Gadson Jr., of 145 Grove Ridge Circle #101. When the officer told him why he was being stopped, Gadson replied, “I’m calling my girl now,” the report said.
Gadson admitted he did not have a valid driver’s license and his status was suspended for unpaid citations. A computer search revealed Gadson is classified as a Habitual Traffic Offender due to 11 prior suspensions, according to the report.
Gadson was arrested and taken to the Lake County Jail, where he was released later in the day on $2,000 bond. He will appear in Lake County Court on May 17.
