Photo: WJHG/WECP
A multi-agency high-speed chase involving three counties led to the arrest of a driver who stole multiple vehicles.
Walton County Chief Deputy Dustin Cosson says 39-year-old R from Memphis, Tennessee, stole a U-Haul and a grey SUV from Panama City.
Cosson says R then began driving recklessly at dangerous speeds. Taking him over the Hathaway Bridge and into the busy roads of Panama City Beach.
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office says the driver then crashed the stolen U-Haul in the parking lot of the Club Wyndham hotel on Front Beach Road, then got in another vehicle and took off.
“The driver came down here possibly with the vehicle owner, but he did not have permission to take the vehicle, ultimately what we think is he used that vehicle to go and steal the U-Haul, and then loaded the vehicle on the back of the U-Haul, and then when there was the initial pursuit over in Bay County, he somehow took the vehicle off of the U-Haul, and then fled again, ultimately coming into Walton County,” Dustin Cosson, Chief Deputy for the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
When R entered Walton County, deputies started chasing the vehicle. But the chase was quickly put on hold because there was a threat to the public.
“Because of traffic conditions, we called that pursuit off; we’re never going to put the public in harm’s way because of driving actions, but we had multiple reckless driver calls of the suspect’s vehicle going into the median, running vehicles off the road, all the way into Okaloosa County,” said Cosson.
R entered Okaloosa County but then made his way back to Walton. Cosson says the suspect drove through the Mid-Bay Bridge, Niceville, and up to Highway 285, where deputies caught him, with the help of the BCSO helicopter.
“We tried to spike strip the vehicle multiple times, and ultimately the vehicle did try to swerve around some spikes, and one of our deputies was right behind him and was able to give him a bump and get him off the roadway on 285,” said Cosson.
Cosson says the suspect was actively seizing when deputies got him out of the car and says it was likely drug related. Narcan was administered on scene.
The suspect is now in custody and is being treated at a local hospital.
Walton County says the suspect is facing charges of fleeing and eluding, and more charges are expected out of Bay County.
We also reached out to Panama City Police, since the vehicle was stolen in the city. They would not provide any further details, but we have made a public records request to find out more about how this whole multi-county chase began and why.
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Source: Wjhg
