A $1.4 million speeding ticket surprised a Georgia man before officials clarified the situation

Credit: Kindel Media

A Georgia man was left reeling after receiving a $1.4 million speeding ticket, but city officials say the figure was just a placeholder, not the actual fine.

Connor Cato tells WSAV-TV in Savannah that he received the citation after getting pulled over in September for driving 90 mph (145 kph) in a 55 mph (89 kph) zone.

He called the court thinking the figure was a typo but says he was told he either had to pay it or appear in court in December.

Savannah officials say anyone caught driving more than 35 mph (56 kph) above the speed limit has to appear in court, where a judge will determine the actual fine.

The figure Cato received reflected a "placeholder" that was automatically generated by e-citation software used by the local Recorder's Court, said Joshua Peacock, a spokesman for Savannah's city government. The actual fine cannot exceed $1,000 in addition to state-mandated costs.

"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 told The Associated Press.

He added that the court "is currently working on adjusting the placeholder language to avoid any confusion."