- Police say the 85-year-old driver reached 110 mph in a 45-mph zone.
- The Nissan owner says he was simply enjoying a drive in his favorite car.
- Both drivers denied racing despite facing street-racing charges.
At an age when many drivers are hanging up the keys altogether, one Florida man allegedly found himself doing the exact opposite. Authorities in Lake County say 85-year-old William Bosworth was clocked at 110 mph while driving his Nissan 350Z convertible alongside a Chevrolet Corvette, earning himself charges for street racing and excessive speeding.
Whether that’s reckless, impressive, or a little bit of both probably depends on who you ask, but one thing is certain. Not many octogenarians are making headlines for triple-digit speeds.
Two Cars, One Stretch Of Highway
According to authorities, the incident took place on the night of June 12 on State Road 48. Deputies claim they observed a red Corvette and a gray Nissan 350Z traveling side-by-side at extremely high speeds in a 45-mph zone. Police allege the Corvette reached 125 mph while Bosworth’s Nissan hit 110 mph before both vehicles were stopped separately.
Read: Corvette Driver Ejected, Mustang Driver Arrested in California Street Race
Bosworth denied racing. Body camera footage obtained by WECT shows him calmly explaining that the Corvette had swerved toward him and that he was simply “out having a ride” in his favorite car. Perhaps the most relatable part of the entire encounter is that Bosworth reportedly told officers he’s owned the 350Z since it was brand new.
The Corvette driver, 57-year-old Phillip Signorino, was also arrested and likewise denied racing. In a defense that probably won’t become a standard legal strategy anytime soon, he reportedly told officers that his Corvette wasn’t capable of reaching the speeds deputies claimed. Given Corvette performance over the past several decades, that’s a bold argument.
The Road Was Asking For It
To be clear, public roads aren’t racetracks. If the allegations are accurate, 110 mph in a 45-mph zone is the sort of thing that can go very wrong very quickly, and it’s exactly why tracks exist. At the same time, there’s something undeniably fascinating about a man in his mid-80s who still genuinely loves driving enough to get himself into this kind of trouble.
The real irony is that roads like State Road 48 are often engineered with long sightlines, wide lanes, and forgiving geometry that encourage higher speeds while retaining relatively low posted limits. Traffic engineers have long argued that roadway design influences driver behavior more effectively than enforcement alone. None of that excuses triple-digit speeds, but it does add context. Hopefully, we all have Bosworth’s passion when we reach his age.
