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A life lesson for Miami’s legion of borderline-insane bikers: If you’re going to lead police on a high-speed chase, make sure your buddy isn’t filming the whole thing on his helmet camera. Sure, it makes great YouTube fodder, but if police catch your friend, your own daring escape won’t mean much.
That’s what 20-year-old Anthony Hoover learned. He was arrested a month after leading Monroe County Sheriff’s deputies on a high-speed chase because cops used his friend’s helmet footage to ID him.
The chase began January 21 in the Keys when Monroe deputies near Mile Marker 71 on Overseas Highway clocked two bikes rocketing past in the northbound lane.
The cops flipped on their lights, but instead of pulling over, the bikes sped up above 75 mph and tried to flee, says Becky Herrin, a spokeswoman for the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department.
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A few miles later, one of the bikers — 18-year-old Jose Bolivar of Islamorada — pulled off the highway and turned himself in. But police never caught his partner.
Luckily, Bolivar had filmed the whole escapade on a helmet-mounted camera. Police spent a few weeks watching the footage and, with Bolivar’s help, were eventually able to ID Hoover as the second biker. They also plan to use the footage as evidence that the bikers were speeding and fleeing police.
Both men are charged with reckless driving and fleeing and eluding police.
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