Accused motorcycle speeder told officer he 'had to pee'

PEKIN, Ill., Oct. 17 (UPI) -- Police in Illinois said a man seen riding his motorcycle 140 mph told officers he fled officers because he had to use the restroom.

Pekin police spokesman Mike Eeten said an officer spotted Adam Lester, 26, riding his motorcycle at 140 mph Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on the McNaughton Bridge, which has a 55 mph speed limit, with a 16-year-old female passenger on the back of the bike, the Pekin Daily Times reported Thursday.

"The officer said he even checked [the radar gun] twice" to verify the 140-mph reading, Eeten said.

The officer gave pursuit and saw the motorcycle "blow through" a red light before losing sight of the vehicle, Eeten said.

Eeten said the officer soon spotted the motorcycle stopped between two parked vehicles and he "snuck up" on the riders.

"When he told [Lester] to put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed, he said he had to pee," Eeten said.

Eeten said the girl told the officer Lester had intentionally gone through the red light in an attempt to escape pursuit and had been attempting to hide when the officer found them. Lester also admitted to intentionally fleeing the officer, Eeten said.

Lester was arrested on misdemeanor charges of speeding more than 40 mph over the limit and fleeing and attempting to elude police. He was also cited for offenses including endangering the safety of a minor reckless driving and disobeying a traffic control device.

He was released on $200 cash bond.