Motorcyclist leads 145 mph chase through Hernando County, arrested

A late-night motorcycle chase that raced through the Hernando-Pasco corridor put drivers, deputies and neighborhood streets in danger long before it ended in New Port Richey. Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested Jeff Freymuller, 44, after the pursuit climbed above 145 mph and wound through State Road 52, SR-589 and County Line Road.

Troopers said the chase began around 9:40 p.m. Saturday in Pasco County, when a radar-equipped trooper on State Road 52 saw a dark motorcycle traveling eastbound at an estimated 100 mph in a 45 mph zone. The scanner confirmed the rider at 104 mph, and the trooper activated lights and sirens. From there, the motorcycle did not slow down. It kept accelerating and weaving through traffic as troopers tried to stop it.

The route pushed the danger across county lines and through a corridor that matters to Hernando residents because it funnels high-speed traffic between suburban neighborhoods and major roadways. According to the account, the rider moved onto SR-589, then continued toward County Line Road before returning to SR-589 after a U-turn. The chase was not a brief burst of speed; it carried the risk of a crash for everyone sharing the road, from nearby motorists to people living along the route.

Freymuller eventually slowed, turned onto Key Lime Drive and then Lake Drive, and stopped at 9:56 p.m., where troopers arrested him. He reportedly told troopers he fled because he was scared about having marijuana in his pocket. Troopers later found medical marijuana and a valid medical marijuana card. He also reportedly admitted to drinking four beers earlier in the day, and one arresting trooper said he smelled alcohol on his breath.

The case lands squarely inside Florida’s dangerous excessive speeding law, which took effect July 1, 2025. Under that statute, driving 50 mph or more over the posted limit, or driving 100 mph or more in a way that threatens safety or interferes with traffic, is a criminal offense. First-time convictions can bring up to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine; repeat convictions can carry up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine, along with a possible license revocation of 180 days to one year for a second or subsequent conviction within five years.

For Hernando County, the broader issue is not the motorcycle alone. It is the way a single traffic stop can turn into a cross-county pursuit at interstate speeds, exposing more drivers, more neighborhoods and more law-enforcement units to risk before the suspect is finally boxed in.