Teen facing charges after police say he was caught going 160+ mph on Interstate 82

A teenage speedster was caught going 161 mph on Interstate 82 Monday morning.

The 18-year-old man was driving an Audi A4 north on the interstate when a Washington State Patrol aerial patrol spotted him near Locust Grove Road, Washington State Patrol trooper Chris Thorson told the Herald.

Troopers were there to meet him near WSP’s Tri-Cities office building after the plane followed him.

The teen surrendered as soon as the police signaled him, and didn’t explain why he was driving so fast, Thorson said.

He was booked into the Benton County jail for reckless driving. The teen was legally allowed to drive.

The car was released to family members.

Thorson told the Herald that this is the fastest he’s seen going on the highways in 24 years. He said it could have easily turned tragic if the teen had lost control of the car. The state highways and interstates are not built with those speeds in mind.

He pointed to a high-speed crash on Interstate 82 in Yakima that left a 20-year-old woman dead on Saturday.