To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Judge dismissed speeding ticket fine for 96-year-old pensioner taking his son for cancer treatment
Featured Image Credit: Caught In Providence/Facebook

Judge dismissed speeding ticket fine for 96-year-old pensioner taking his son for cancer treatment

Judge Caprio dismissed the 96-year-old's speeding charge after hearing his story

A judge once dismissed a 96-year-old's speeding ticket after finding out why he was driving so quickly.

This is why:

You may recognise Judge Frack Caprio, he's famous for offering some sage advice, and often some leniency to those who find themselves in his courtroom.

And the star of ABC's Caught in Providence was taken aback when Mr Coella stood before him, having been charged with a 'school zone violation'.

In a clip shared online, the elderly gentleman can be seen taking his place in front of the judge's bench.

"I don't drive that fast, Judge," Mr Coella told Caprio. "I'm 96 years old and I drive slowly, and I only drive when I have to."

He then explained to the judge that he was taking his son, who is 'handicapped', to the doctors.

Mr Coella said: "I take him for blood work every two weeks because he's got cancer."

This was when Caprio began to understand the context of the fine and saw a different side to the story.

Mr Coella was caught speeding in a school zone.
ABC

He then told Mr Coella that he was a 'good man' who represented 'what America is all about'.

"Here you are in your 90s, and you're still taking care of your family," he said. "That's just a wonderful thing."

After telling the judge that his son was 63 years old, Caprio said: "And Daddy's still taking care of him, right?"

The camera then switched to Caprio's own son, who was sitting at the side of the courtroom.

He joked: "You're setting a bad example to my son - you're putting a lot of pressure on me!"

Caprio then told Mr Coella that he wished him well in the future and told him that his charge had been dismissed.

Since the clip was uploaded to YouTube, it has been viewed millions of times, with viewers blown away by the father's courage.

One person wrote: "He is the definition of what a father should be. Your role as a father does not end when your offspring turns 18."

Judge Caprio was blown away by Mr Coella's story.
ABC

"The way I cried when he said 'he has cancer' and started tearing up," commented another.

"He's an example for what a great father is. Hope the police that gave him a ticket rots and thank you Judge for having a heart because he didn't do anything wrong."

"That first gentleman is astounding, I wish we learned how fast he was going," put a third.

"The judge made a great decision by dropping charges even if he was speeding clearly it wasn’t overly fast just enough to trip the camera.

"People make mistakes and this guy you can tell is being genuine and honest."

Topics: US News, Crime