Driver Clocked at 170 MPH on Phoenix Loop 202

A gray 2023 BMW M2 was clocked at 170 mph on the Loop 202 in Phoenix this week, a speed so extreme that the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) noted the vehicle was covering roughly 250 feet every second.

Troopers spotted the car passing traffic extremely fast near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Monday, according to DPS.

The driver, whose car had no license plate, initially claimed to be traveling between 110 and 115 mph when confronted by law enforcement. He later told troopers he was uncertain of his speed, explaining that he was on his way to trade in the car and wanted one last drive. Troopers subsequently arrested the driver for reckless driving and endangerment.

While the incident on the Loop 202 highlights the immediate dangers of high-speed maneuvers near a major transit hub, the area surrounding Sky Harbor is currently the center of a much broader, long-term legal dispute. The City of Phoenix has filed a formal complaint in Maricopa County Superior Court against the City of Tempe, seeking to block residential development in a 1.2-square-mile corridor directly beneath the airport’s flight path.

“The Phoenix Aviation Department does not object to a sports arena, restaurants, shops, and other compatible uses related to the proposed Tempe Entertainment District. Today’s action is about ensuring Tempe lives up to its commitments to protecting our state’s largest economic engine.”

The friction between the two cities matters. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport generates an annual economic impact of more than $38 billion and supports more than 57,000 employees. Aviation officials argue that allowing residential growth in high-noise corridors inevitably leads to future litigation and noise complaints, which could threaten the airport’s operational capacity and the broader regional economy.

Despite over a year of negotiations, the two parties have failed to reach an amicable resolution, forcing the matter into the court system.

Phoenix officials maintain that their primary goal is to protect the integrity of the 1994 contract, which serves as a safeguard for both the airport’s 44 million annual travelers and the communities surrounding the facility.

For the driver arrested on Monday, the consequences are immediate and criminal, involving the direct risk posed to motorists on a busy freeway. For the cities of Phoenix and Tempe, the stakes are structural, involving the long-term viability of one of Arizona’s most vital economic assets.