Reckless Driving – A Client’s Story

In the fall of 2011, Riley Scheyder found himself in a precarious situation when he was pulled over by the state police for reckless driving.  Thankfully, he and his family reached out to The Irving Law Firm for help and support.

In what seemed like a perfect storm, the then 17 year old from Freedom High School in South Riding, VA felt like the stars were aligned against him.  After being invited by his mentor to visit a professor of philosophy in Maryland, Riley eagerly accepted, and the two set off on a road trip.  Upon arrival, he knew it was going to be an interesting evening.  As he listened to the two gentlemen talk, Riley noticed they were drinking but didn’t think much about it.  When the evening came to a close, Riley’s mentor asked him to drive home just in case he was over the legal limit.

On the trip back, everything seemed fine until Riley was just minutes from home.  His mentor’s sports car ran so smoothly Riley didn’t even realize how fast he was going.  When he looked down and saw he was going 82 in a 55 mph zone, Riley immediately hit the brakes, which was like a beacon signaling the state trooper.  As Riley rolled down the window, the officer smelled the alcohol fumes from the passenger seat and immediately asked for his license and registration.  Not anticipating having to drive, Riley did not have his license with him.  Further exacerbating the situation, it was after 2 AM, which was past the midnight curfew for students under 18 in Virginia.  Things had gone from bad to worse.

By the next morning, Riley was faced with the daunting task of explaining to his father why he had ended up with a ticket for reckless driving when he wasn’t even supposed to be driving in the first place.  Needless to say, he was scared and felt guilty for having disappointed his father.  Thankfully, Riley’s dad knew the reputation of The Irving Law Firm, and asked John Irving for help.  Riley described how he felt so much better after “Mr. Irving” sat and talked with him.  He knew he was in good hands.

In the end, Riley had his day in court. The police officer was there to give his account, which thankfully put Riley in a good light. The judge asked the young man to apologize to his father; and once he completed an eight-hour driving class, the charges were dropped. Riley spoke about his brush with the legal system, “I was really nervous going into the whole process. It was helpful knowing that The Irving Law Firm was going to be there. They helped me out when I didn’t think I had many people on my side.”