Young Andy is at a Christmas party with some of his teenaged friends. Most of them are sophomores at a Porter County, Indiana, high school.

Andy looks at his wristwatch and notices it’s nearly 1 a.m. Mom and Dad’s orders are to be home not later than midnight.

Andy excuses himself from the party, runs to his Subaru and heads for home. Driving along U.S. 390 at nearly 1 a.m., the youngster is preoccupied with getting home. It’s already an hour past curfew and he doesn’t want to be grounded during the holidays.

"Step on it, this is a four-lane highway with a median and no traffic, and I’m in a Subaru Impreza," the kid must be thinking. As young Andy whizzes down the road, his car becomes the target of RADAR operated by Deputy Sheriff John Brubaker.

The posted speed limit on this highway is 55 miles per hour, but Andy’s Subaru is moving nearly 90 miles per hour faster than that. Do the math. That’s 142 miles per hour.

"Most people’s cars won’t go that fast," said Sgt. Tim Emmons, a spokesman for the Porter County Sheriff’s Department. He also said it may be the highest speed ever recorded in the sheriff’s department’s history.

Young Andy pulls over when the cops order him to stop. He has a valid driver’s license along with the other required papers.

Deputy Brubaker does not arrest Andy, but sends him home with instructions to call him as soon as he gets there. The boy does what he’s told, except he explains what happened to his mother. That was a good move — telling his mother.

Andy’s mother calls the deputy who then explains what happened. Andy now faces speeding and reckless driving charges and maybe a suspended license.

One thing Andy wasn’t thinking about — what if a tire blew at 142 m.p.h.? Had that happened, Andy’s parents and friends would be thinking instead about what to say at the boy's memorial service.

Our thanks to the Associated Press and the Post-Tribune of Merrillville, Indiana, who first reported this story.