Two charged with reckless driving

Two Geiger Key residents were arrested Monday morning after a traffic enforcement deputy saw them driving recklessly at high rates of speed on the Boca Chica four lane in the Lower Keys.

The Sheriff’s Office has received numerous complaints from citizens about speeding in the construction zone on the four lane stretch of highway between Stock Island and Big Coppitt Key. The speed limit for the area has been set at 45 miles per hour while construction is being done.

On Monday morning, Deputy John McGee was on patrol at 8 a.m. on his motorcycle in that area when he spotted two vehicles – a green four door sedan and a blue pickup truck - traveling at over 85 miles per hour in that area. The vehicles appeared to be racing each other. The truck was behind the car, so Deputy McGee got behind the lead vehicle in an attempt to pull them both over. The woman driving the car – identified as 25 year old Melissa Bazley – refused to pull over. He pulled up to the driver’s side window, which was down, and motioned and yelled for her to pull over. She still refused.

Deputy McGee finally got both vehicles stopped. Bazely refused to produce her driver’s license, instead asking the deputy “why are you harassing me?” After repeatedly ordering her to produce her license, she continued to refuse. The male – identified as 24 year old Shaun Stevens – also began to get belligerent with the deputy, so he called for backup officers to assist.

Bazely had to be forcibly removed from her car because she continued to be completely non-compliant with all orders. Stevens was also resistive, and at one point as he confronted Deputy McGee, he stepped out into the roadway into oncoming traffic. Stevens at protested that they were “just speeding to get home” and asked why the deputy had to “harass them like that”.

Both of them were arrested and taken to jail. Bazley was charged with failure to obey a law enforcement officer, participating in unlawful racing and resisting arrest. Stevens was charged with participating in unlawful racing.