SEASIDE, Ore. –- A 19-year-old Tigard motorcyclist with only a learner's permit could face a fine of $7,353 after he was caught speeding 129 mph on Highway 26, east of Seaside, police said.

OSP booking photo

Curtis Rands

Curtis Joseph Rands told the Oregon State Police trooper who stopped him Friday that he was trying to locate his wallet, which he thought he lost along the highway somewhere between Portland and Seaside.

He did not explain why -- or how -- he thought such excessive speed would help him locate his wallet.

Rands was stopped while riding downhill near the Saddle Mountain junction, said OSP Lt. Duane Stanton. A laser radar showed the speed reading to be 129 mph.

The teen was taken into custody for reckless driving and lodged in the Clatsop County Jail.

Reckless driving is a class A misdemeanor and can carry a maximum fine of $6,250 and one year in jail, Stanton said. The speeding ticket carries a maximum fine of $1,103.

Rands, who only has a motorcycle permit, was riding alone despite being required to ride with a licensed motorcyclist, according to Stanton.

In January of this year, a new Oregon law stiffened penalties for drivers cited at speeds 100 mph and faster. A conviction carries a mandatory minimum 30 – 90 day suspension in addition to a $1,103.00 fine.

Excessive speed is a factor in half of all traffic fatalities, and it is the only factor in about 30 percent of such crashes, statistics show.