A Summerfield man riding a moped was arrested on U.S. 301 after a traffic stop revealed he had a suspended North Carolina driver’s license and lacked the required motorcycle endorsement.
Larry Jay Hawkins, 32, was operating a white and blue 150cc moped at about 5:13 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, traveling northbound on U.S. 301 near County Road 462 in Wildwood. A Sumter County Sheriff’s Office sergeant noticed the rider was not wearing proper eye protection, which is required by Florida law, and initiated a traffic stop near the intersection of County Road 105.
When asked for his driver’s license, Hawkins presented a North Carolina identification card. He told the sergeant he had never obtained a Florida driver’s license and admitted his North Carolina license had expired. A subsequent records check confirmed his out-of-state license was officially suspended.
In addition, the vehicle’s registration indicated the moped had a 150cc engine, which requires a valid motorcycle endorsement to operate legally on Florida roadways. Hawkins admitted he did not have the required endorsement.
Hawkins was arrested on misdemeanor charges of driving while license suspended and operating a motorcycle without a license. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $650 bond.