Reckless Rider Arrested after Fleeing

A Key West man was arrested on last Wednesday afternoon after attempting to flee police officers who clocked him speeding over 63 mph on South Roosevelt Blvd.

Rambo O. Burkhardt, 32, was speeding between the Triangle and Flagler Ave, when a Key West Police traffic officer spotted him and attempted to pull him over. Burkhardt, who was riding a 2005 Yamaha motorcycle, saw the officer’s lights, jumped the vehicle up over a curb and sped off down Flagler.

The officer did not engage in a pursuit, instead tracking Burkhardt’s movements as he sped up and down residential streets in an effort to evade police, jumping curbs, running stops, and illegally passing other vehicles.

By then Burkhardt had been identified due to past dealings with the police as living in the neighborhood. Police set up a perimeter of the area. As Burkhardt apparently headed toward home, he was observed driving the motorcycle across the pedestrian bridge on Staples Avenue. He was stopped shortly after that dangerous and illegal move.

In addition to the felony charge of fleeing and eluding, the police seized Burkhardt’s motorcycle for forfeiture.

In recent months, the Key West Police Department has stepped up its motorcycle and scooter safety enforcement, especially on North and South Roosevelt boulevards. A $50,000 FDOT grant is allowing extra dedicated enforcement to quell the number of motorcycle and scooter crashes on the island.

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