Judge denies first-time offender program for Connecticut ‘super speeder'
A judge has denied a first‑time offender program for a man accused of riding a motorcycle at speeds topping 150 — and even approaching 200 — miles per hour on Connecticut highways.
NBC Connecticut Investigates first broke the story last spring and has followed every development as part of its ongoing Reckless On Our Roads investigation. Now, a judge says the extreme and repeated nature of the speeding makes the case ineligible for accelerated rehabilitation, a program for first-time offenders that can erase charges if successfully completed.
Prosecutors say Brice Bennett recorded and posted 88 videos of himself racing through Connecticut roadways, sometimes reaching almost 200 miles per hour, and uploaded the footage to YouTube.
“That bike was being operated at speeds from 100 to 200 miles an hour in any given video,” said Owen Kivela, an assistant state’s attorney. “Multiple videos did show him traveling in excess of 150, 180, and 200 miles an hour.”
Investigators say Bennett was also making money from the videos.
State police arrested Bennett after tracking his postings made over roughly two years. He was 22 years old at the time and living in Bloomfield.
Since then, Bennett’s attorney says he has taken steps to turn his life around, including completing a driver’s education course, attending therapy, and moving to Tennessee.
“He was arrested, and that could have been the best thing that ever happened to him,” said defense attorney Pat Tomasiewicz. “Because that acted as a complete shutoff and a deterrent to this kind of behavior.”
Bennett also addressed the court directly.
“I’m sorry. I was incredibly stupid. I was an idiot,” Bennett said. “And I understand the severity of the videos.”
Despite those statements, Superior Court Judge Paul Doyle said the conduct went far beyond a single poor decision.
The judge said Bennett’s repeated high‑speed rides endangered the public dozens of times and represented a pattern of dangerous behavior, not a one‑time mistake. As a result, Doyle ruled that the case did not meet the requirements for accelerated rehabilitation.
“The court just finds the AR program … it cannot satisfy the terms of the AR program because of the quantity, the risk,” Judge Doyle said. “The court does appreciate where the defendant has come since the arrest.”
Bennett’s website remains active. He says he has shifted his content away from speed‑focused videos, covering his speedometer in newer posts. He is also selling merchandise, including T‑shirts displaying his mug shot.
NBC Connecticut Investigates will continue to track the case as part of its Reckless On Our Roads series.
From breaking news and local politics to art exhibitions, live music, high school sports, small businesses, and cultural events, we celebrate the people and places that make Connecticut unique.