Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
A Los Angeles man has hired a lawyer to fight speeding and reckless driving charges after he allegedly drove a Lamborghini over 150 mph on Highway 154 last year.
Zhan John Akopyan, 50, of La Cañada Flintridge was driving westbound on Highway 154 past the SR-246 roundabout in a blue Lamborghini coupe on November 20, 2022.
A California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer clocked Akopyan for driving 152 mph in a 55 mph zone.
The local CHP office took a photo of the Lamborghini and the speeding ticket and posted it to social media stating, “154 is the State Route NOT the speed limit. We know how tempting it can be to ‘open it up’ when your car is fast and the weather is beautiful, but save it for the track.”
The CHP post was picked up by national news outlets and widely spread on social media accounts.
Akopyan was cited for 23103(a)VC – Reckless Driving, a misdemeanor, by the CHP officer but in January was charged with a lesser infraction by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office.
Litigator Nathan Soleimani from Beverly Hills represented Akopyan during a February 6 hearing and entered a not-guilty plea.
According to public records, Akopyan appears to be the owner of Terminal 8 Studios, a photography and video space in Los Angeles that features lineups of several Lamborghinis on their website.
Highway 154 is a heavily trafficked mountain roadway with a lot of curves and blind corners. Residents along the San Marcos Pass and in the Santa Ynez Valley have been advocating for stricter traffic enforcement as vehicle collisions and fatalities continue.
A trial has been scheduled for March 20 in Santa Maria.
Photo: CHP
Related Article
November 21, 2022: Lamborghini Driver Ticketed for 150mph Speeds on Highway 154
I know not realistic but. I wish the CHP could have taken this guys car and made it a CHP patrol vehicle lol. Would be awesome to se it on the pass.
I agree, for so many reasons.
It might save some lives.
Good idea, but not for cops. It should have been turned into funds for the under served schools.
I sure hope that he isn’t able to wiggle out of this. His speed was totally irresponsible and could have been disastrous.
Let’s see if the rich LA scumbag can put enough quarters in the machine to beat the pay-to-play legal game!
Fat chance since the DA lowered the game difficulty for this lo$er before the match even started. Money talks, folks. The DA works for the 1% and it shows.
I was interested in what 23103(a) VC was:
California Vehicle Code [CVC] §23103(a) – Reckless Driving – Vehicle Code Section 23103(a) makes it illegal to drive a vehicle with willful or wanton disregard for the safety of people or property. Violation of Section 23103(a) is punishable by up to ninety days in county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.
…so willful or wanton disregard!
Doesn’t even matter, because the DA dropped the charge to a willy nilly infraction without argument. What a disservice to society. This man will do this again.
Back in the day, I got a ticket for reckless driving. I was doing 90 on 101 between SB and Montecito in the evening with very light traffic. I got a big fine, a weekend in the County Jail and a 30 day suspended sentence with 1 year summary probation. No infraction for me.
It will be interesting to see how justice is served. Is there more liberty and justice for the wealthy?
Well, at the minimum the wealthy are better able to afford the options for justice that exist in our society. Our legal system has grown so complex that a high end lawyer may well be able to find this creep a loophole that will let him keep his driver’s license. Pity.
Is that a real question? Of course you get what you pay for and money equals freedom.
Of COURSE there is more bought justice for the wealthy!!! This is America, after all. Money is god.
“High end” lawyers are not necessarily more clever or intelligent or knowledgeable than the run of the mill lawyer. What they have is a willingness to push the ethical pocket for clients who pay big or have a high publicity case. Look at how many of Trump’s lawyers have been are are being disciplined for the lies they gave in court on his behalf. There is, by ;the way, no evidence that the lawyer in this case has done anything improper. All defendants are entitled to appear by counsel in all misdemeanor matters. I imagine the attorney will try and negotiate some disposition that avoids jail and involves a big fine and maybe a drivers license suspension. We will see.
What if a deer ran out…? Just STUPID. So easily could have killed innocent people.
To plead, “Not Guilty” seems a tad narcissistic…
Shame on the DA for IMMEDIATELY dropping the reckless driving misdemeanor to a lesser infraction. Truly, wtf! This man should spend at least a week in jail for his extreme disregard for society. Shame shame shame on the DA for their handling of this case. Pandering to the rich instead of taking a stand and action to protect the general public for asshole idiots like this. Get a spine, DA.
Rich D-BAG pleading Not Guilty??? Who would have guessed. Let me see, he is paying off the court??? SICKENING. Prosecute this loser to the fullest!
Most people who follow such infractions knew that the charges would be lowered or even dropped. Think about it: driving way too fast, no deer ran into the road, no accidents caused, and a whole lot of “what ifs” that never happened. The DA can’t go heavy on someone just because they are driving a fast car or assumed to be wealthy….just can’t approach the law that way. I understand how some of you feel, but most of us have gone over the speed limit at least once in our lives, but that does not mean that we do it all the time. One last thought for the anti-speeders, why not suggest that no vehicles except for LE be powered/geared to travel faster than a state’s maximum speed limit. Sorry, not going to happen my turtle-speed driving friends….I’d rather spend a Saturday afternoon circling the Trader Joe’s parking lot on upper De la Vina in a 1976 Cadillac convertible wearing MAGA hat (LOL!).
Over 150 mph and you say “oh we’ve all sped sometime or another”? Nah. You missed the mark completely again, BABYCAKES.
Just one more reason to Keep LA 100 miles away.
Well maybe he should have stolen it, washed it at a friend’s in Santa Ynez, headed out towards 154 after push starting, got pulled over and the chp let us go and sent the owner an expired tags ticket. I said sorry I can’t stop the engine, you’ll have to push start us! Red Porsche 911 with a whale tail…its not like I didn’t say” if you leave the keys in it I will not hesitate to take it! 13 times biatches!
GUILTY!!! $2K; 2 pts.; and a whole 30 day suspension… Really gave it to em! Major slap on the wrist…
How’s that song go? “I can’t drive 155…”!