It is not every day you see an octogenarian channeling his inner “Fast and Furious,” but an 85-year-old Leesburg man proved age is just a number when he was busted for street racing late Friday night.
Deputies with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office were alerted to two vehicles flying southbound on U.S. Hwy. 27 in Leesburg around 11:35 p.m. in a 45-mph zone. Radar confirmed the two drivers were engaged in a blistering, late-night contest of speed:
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The Veteran: 85-year-old William Francis Bosworth of Leesburg, clocked at 110 mph in a gray 2006 Nissan 350Z.
William Francis Bosworth -
The Challenger: 57-year-old Phillip Signorino of Titusville, clocked at 125 mph in a red Corvette.
Phillip Signorino
Law enforcement managed to pull both speed racers over near County Road 48. When questioned, the excuses were just as wild as the speeds.
Bosworth—who casually mentioned to deputies that he used to be a drag racer and was very familiar with high-performance vehicles—insisted he was simply out for a ride in his “favorite car” and “was not trying to do anything to anybody.” The 85-year-old claimed he only punched the gas as a “reaction” after the Corvette swerved at him.
Despite deputies informing the elderly speed demon that they had trailed the entire race on a dash cam, Bosworth maintained he had no intention of racing, repeatedly stressing that he was a “good person.”
Meanwhile, Signorino tried to play innocent as well. He boldly claimed his Corvette wasn’t even capable of reaching 125 mph, denied knowing Bosworth, and completely rejected the idea that they were racing.
However, the competitive spirit was still alive and well by the time the two men arrived at the Lake County Jail for booking.
While chatting with detention staff, someone asked Signorino which car he had been driving. Completely abandoning his earlier denials, the 57-year-old quickly fired back, “The one that won. The Corvette.”
Both the octogenarian and the boasting Corvette driver were charged with driving a vehicle in a race on a highway and dangerous speeding in excess of 50 mph over the limit. They were released from jail after posting their respective $2,000 bonds.