Coral Springs man drives against traffic near busy mall and tells officer he freaked out during stop
Coral Springs, Florida – A 27-year-old man from Coral Springs is facing several charges after a wild driving incident near a busy shopping area ended with a dramatic apology and an arrest.
According to a police report, officers spotted Darius Reckley driving erratically around 10:30 a.m. on July 22 in the area of 600 North University Drive. The location is near TGI Fridays and Coral Square Mall, a heavily trafficked area that was particularly busy at the time.
Police say Reckley made a sudden, sharp turn onto West Atlantic Boulevard and immediately accelerated well beyond the posted 45 mph speed limit. As he sped down the road, officers observed him weaving between lanes without using any turn signals, further alarming other drivers.
Things took a more dangerous turn when Reckley crossed over into the wrong side of a divided roadway, driving eastbound in westbound lanes. This happened in a construction zone with backed-up traffic, creating a risky and chaotic situation. Oncoming drivers were forced to react quickly as Reckley’s car came toward them head-on.
As the situation escalated, Reckley slammed on his brakes and veered into the Coral Square Mall parking lot to avoid a potential crash. At that point, a police officer activated his emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop.
As the officer approached the vehicle, Reckley immediately began shouting. According to the police report, he said: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I freaked out.”
During the stop, the officer discovered that Reckley’s driver’s license had been suspended twice — once for failure to pay a traffic fine, and another time for not completing a court-ordered driving school earlier this year. Reckley also admitted he didn’t have the license with him because it had already been confiscated by police during a prior traffic stop.
In addition, police found that the vehicle tag was expired.
Reckley was arrested on multiple charges, including reckless driving, driving while license suspended (third or subsequent offense), failure to display a driver’s license, driving on the wrong side of a divided highway, and expired tag.
He was taken into custody but has since been released on bond.
Authorities have not said whether additional penalties will be pursued or if Reckley will be required to appear in court again in the near future.
The incident serves as another reminder of the potential dangers of reckless driving, especially in congested areas. Fortunately, no injuries were reported despite the severity of the situation.
While Reckley’s outburst — “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I freaked out” — may reflect panic in the moment, police say his driving put many people at risk and could have easily ended in tragedy.
