Three men were arrested last week for dangerous excessive speeding while driving on or exiting Pensacola Bay Bridge, per Gulf Breeze Police Department.
Jacob Walsh, 19, was arrested for exceeding the speed limit by 50 mph after officers clocked his vehicle at 109 mph on the Pensacola Bay Bridge northbound. Walsh, a resident of Navarre, was booked into Santa Rosa County Jail around 8:30 p.m., Nov. 6. He posted a $150 bond and was released around 3 hours later.
Edward Scheper, 22, was arrested for exceeding the speed limit by 50 mph after officers clocked his vehicle at 120 mph on the Pensacola Bay Bridge northbound on Nov. 7. Scheper, of Pensacola, was booked into Santa Rosa County Jail around 12:30 a.m., Nov. 7. He posted a $150 bond and was released around 4 hours later.
Additionally, Quintan Reagan, 19, was arrested for exceeding the speed limit by 50 mph after officers clocked his vehicle at 87 mph in a 35-mph zone as he exited the Pensacola Bay Bridge. Reagan, of Pensacola, was booked into Santa Rosa County Jail around 11 p.m., Nov. 7 and remains in jail on a military hold.
All three were charged with a second-degree misdemeanor for dangerous excessive speeding under a new Florida law which went into effect on July 1, 2025. The new law makes “dangerous excessive speeding” a criminal offense that potentially leads to jail time – even for a first offense. Drivers caught driving in excess of 50 mph or more over the speed limit, or at 100 mph or more, can now be arrested. Penalties include potential jail time, fines of up to $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second offense, and license revocation for repeat offenders.
Gulf Breeze Police Chief Rick Hawthorne says speeding on the span has always been an issue – just not as often. “Plus the new law allows us to arrest which makes it more known to the public.”
