Motorcyclist dressed as Santa escapes trooper after chase hits 120 mph, Florida cops say

As odd as it sounds, the Florida Highway Patrol is searching for Santa Claus after a trooper clocked him doing 120 mph on a motorcycle, authorities said.

The naughty display was seen around 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, in Beverly Hills, about an 80-mile drive north of Tampa, the Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release.

Video shows the suspect did, in fact, look like Santa, but had the good sense to wear a helmet.

“The sleigh must be in the shop,” the Florida Highway Patrol wrote on social media. “Anyone that recognizes ol’ St. Nick please feel free to call *FHP (*347) and let us know!”

The biker — “a male in a Santa costume” — was weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed when a trooper started following him, officials say.

Santa pulled off the road into a gas station at one point, but then took off again when the trooper got close, the video shows.

“The trooper lost visual contact of the vehicle and discontinued his pursuit,” officials said.

This story was originally published December 23, 2024 at 7:37 AM with the headline "Motorcyclist dressed as Santa escapes trooper after chase hits 120 mph, Florida cops say."