WASHINGTON – Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth was found guilty of reckless driving in a Fairfax County courtroom Friday and will spend at least five days in jail.
Werth was charged with driving in excess of 100 mph on July 6.
He was sentenced to 180 days in jail, with all but 10 of those suspended. Prosecutors say Werth likely will only serve about half that time. The judge also suspended Werth’s license for six months.
In court, the judge admonished Werth saying the beltway “is not a racetrack.”
A Virginia state trooper testified that when he pulled over Werth, the baseball star said that he was “pushing his luck.”
Werth was caught speeding in his 2011 Porsche GT3 as he entered the Capital Beltway near Georgetown Pike. He was pulled over on the George Washington Parkway for traveling 105 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Werth told the court he thought he was going 90 mph but couldn’t be sure because he wasn’t watching the speedometer.
Werth signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Nationals prior to the 2011 season. He lives in northern Fairfax County.
WTOP’s Jamie Forzato contributed to this report from the City of Fairfax, Virginia. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and on Facebook.
