A US man was left shocked after receiving a £1.2 million ($1.4 million) speeding ticket, but city officials have said the figure was just a “placeholder”.
Connor Cato said he received the fine after getting pulled over in Savannah, Georgia, in September for driving at 90mph in a 55mph zone.
Cato told WSAV-TV that he called the court thinking the figure was a typo, but was told he either had to pay the fine or appear in court in December.
According to Savannah officials, anyone caught driving more than 35mph over the speed limit must appear in court, where a judge determines the actual fine.
Joshua Peacock, a spokesperson for Savannah’s city government, said the fine Cato received was a “placeholder” automatically generated by software used by the local court.
The actual fine cannot exceed $1,000 (£819), Peacock said.
He told AP: “We do not issue that placeholder as a threat to scare anybody into court, even if this person heard differently from somebody in our organization.”
Peacock added that the court “is currently working on adjusting the placeholder language to avoid any confusion”.
Criminal defence attorney Sneh Patel told WSAV-TV he had never seen anything like this before.
Patel said: “I mean I can’t imagine someone would have to pay $1.4 million for not showing up for a speeding ticket.
“[If] it’s a misdemeanor of high and aggravated nature, it will be $5,000…but not $1.4 million – that’s something that goes into cases that are drug trafficking, murders or aggravated assaults, something of that nature.”
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