Man collects 15 traffic violations in 11 minutes

Swiss authorities say that an Italian man took reckless driving to new heights on Sunday, accumulating 15 traffic violations in 11 minutes.

Officials first spotted the 47-year-old driver as he sped past an unmarked police car at 160 kilometres per hour on the A1 motorway in eastern Switzerland, during a rainstorm.

Driving dangerously close to other cars on the motorway, he then allegedly ignored police attempts to pull him over – first with a stop sign and then with flashing lights and sirens, St Gallen cantonal police said on Monday.

The driver then sped through a construction zone at 140 km/h, nearly twice the speed limit allowed on that stretch of the road, before being stopped.

The maximum speed on Swiss motorways is 120 km/h, although the limit is reduced to 100 km/h and slower in many areas.

Authorities seized the man's driver's licence on the spot and a judge has ordered him to be tested for medication and illegal drugs.

swissinfo.ch and agencies