Coral Springs man arrested after driving recklessly in the wrong lanes and apologizing to police for his actions
Coral Springs, Florida – A 27-year-old Coral Springs man gave officers an unexpected explanation after a dangerous morning drive near a busy shopping district — one that involved speeding, weaving through traffic, and driving against oncoming cars.
Police say Darius Reckley was behind the wheel around 10:30 a.m. on July 22 when he began driving erratically near 600 N University Drive, an area packed with stores, restaurants, and the Coral Square Mall. It didn’t take long for his behavior to draw the attention of law enforcement.
According to a police report, Reckley made a fast, sharp turn onto West Atlantic Boulevard and continued speeding beyond the posted 45 mph limit. Officers observed him switching lanes without using turn signals and driving aggressively through traffic.
But things quickly escalated when Reckley steered into the wrong side of a divided road. With traffic backed up due to nearby construction, he began heading eastbound in the westbound lanes, directly toward oncoming vehicles.
Other drivers slammed on their brakes as Reckley’s car approached. He, too, eventually hit his brakes and swerved into the Coral Square Mall parking lot to avoid a collision.
At that point, an officer activated his patrol car’s emergency lights and pulled him over. As the officer walked up to the vehicle, Reckley immediately began shouting.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I freaked out,” he said, according to the report.
A deeper look into Reckley’s record revealed a troubling pattern. His driver’s license had been suspended twice — once for failing to pay a previous traffic fine, and again for not completing a court-ordered driving course earlier this year. He told the officer he wasn’t carrying his license because it had already been taken by police during an earlier stop.
He was arrested and now faces a list of charges, including reckless driving, driving with a suspended license (third or subsequent offense), failure to display a driver’s license, driving on the wrong side of a divided highway, and expired vehicle registration.
“He was arrested and charged with 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.”
Fortunately, no one was hurt during the incident, but officers say Reckley’s behavior could have easily ended in a crash, especially given the road conditions and time of day.
After being booked, Reckley was released on bond. He is expected to appear in court to answer to the charges in the coming weeks.
