Judge Denies Deal for Man Accused of Driving 158 Mph in Indiana

Christopher Garza is accused of driving 158 mph in March 2017. (Lake County, Sheriff's Department)

A man accused of driving 158 mph on the Indiana Toll Road near Gary said he “regrets nothing” after he was denied a plea deal on July 30.

Christopher Garza drove his Dodge Challenger Hellcat past a state trooper’s speed trap in April 2017. He was immediately pulled over, and he told the police officer that he was trying to cheer his friend up.

“I was just kind of getting my buddy’s mind off of reality for a little bit,” Garza said, according to the Chicago Tribune. He added that the passenger was a wounded veteran.

Attorney Todd Bockman told a judge that he was attempting to help Garza keep his job as a union electrician. A conviction could jeopardize his job, he said.

“He’s a very highly valued employee,” Bockman said.

Judge Nicholas Schiralli, however, denied a pretrial plea agreement because of the “high alleged speed.”

Schiralli gave the lawyers until Sept. 10 to come up with an acceptable plea deal before the trial, Fox News reported.

In the 2017 speeding incident, Garza told police that he knew he was driving nearly 160 mph to show his friend “what his 707-horsepower engine could do,“ according to the Tribune. He also “thought the Indiana Toll Road would be the safest place to do this since it was empty,” according to the report.

Garza added that he'll “deal with the consequences.”