Photo: GulfCoastNews
One person is detained after Lee County deputies searched for a suspect in Lehigh Acres who they say crashed their car into a ditch and barricaded themselves inside Thursday morning.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were searching for a wanted suspect in the area of Welby Lane in Lehigh Acres. The suspect crashed a car into a ditch in a wooded area near Ridgemont Drive and Welby Lane.
Neighbors shared surveillance video exclusively with Gulf Coast News. In one clip, you can hear what sounds like gunshots in a video timestamped around 12:30 a.m. Thursday morning. In another surveillance video, you can hear the car crashing into the canal before deputies yell for the suspect to come out of the vehicle.
A driver who spoke with Gulf Coast News said she almost crashed seeing the chase on Greenbriar Boulevard.
“I see, like, a car just coming at, like, towards me, like, so fast. I think maybe like 80 miles, 100 mph! And I see, like, a hundred, like, not like a hundred, but like, 10 cars behind him!” said V, who witnessed the chase.
V added that she had to swerve off the road to avoid the speeding vehicles.
“I had to swerve off the road and like. Like, when we went into the bushes. Scary,” she said.
Neighbors said they were shocked the suspect was able to drive in between houses and into the canal.
“That’s terrifying. Because, you know, property damage, people, pets. But it’s definitely a scary situation,” said T, a Lehigh Acres resident.
The suspect then barricaded themself inside the car, LCSO said. Deputies detained the suspect shortly afterward.
“I still can’t see where he went through unless he went through the neighbor’s yards,” neighbor Lsaid. “It’s, like, incredible that he got that far.”
Deputies were also seen along Marlboro Lane and Vanetta Drive, and crime scene tape has been posted around a home on Willowbrook Drive. Neighbors said the commotion started unfolding shortly after midnight.
The sheriff’s office said that these scenes are connected and the investigation remains active.
At the scene, Gulf Coast News captured deputies placing a gun into an evidence bag at the scene.
Tire marks in the mud and shattered car parts were left behind as the damaged gray Jeep, with a shattered windshield and missing back window, was towed away.
Families in the area are left concerned about the investigation.
“It’s concerning. Yeah. Especially when you have these kids around here,” said D, a neighbor on Willowbrook Drive.
Authorities said the incident began with a search for a wanted man. The suspect’s identity and the charges against him have not yet been released.
LCSO said more details will be released.
Count on Gulf Coast News to keep you updated as this story develops.
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Source: Gulfcoastnewsnow
