Orange County High-Speed Chase Ends in Crash

Early last Monday morning, a deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office was patrolling State Road 408, close to Old Winter Garden Road, when they attempted to make a routine traffic stop on a vehicle that was not described in the preliminary report. When the deputy activated their emergency lights, the driver of the other car hit the gas and drove away at a rate which almost lost the pursing deputy.

The officer called the incident in, and soon numerous other law enforcement vehicles were on the tail of the fleeing car. A helicopter belonging to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office hovered overhead, making sure that the car could not escape its line of sight. Still, the driver of the speeding car did not give up. Not, that is, until they crashed their vehicle after careening on to I-4.

Reports indicate that the car had been approaching Kirkman Road when it crashed and ejected a passenger. The driver of the vehicle was not thrown during the collision, but they did suffer from minor injuries as a result of the crash.

Police and other emergency response personnel arrived at the site and began treating the wounds suffered by both the driver and passenger. According to the report, neither of the injuries suffered by either individual was critical or life-threatening, but both were transported to a hospital just in case. The greater problem for the two people in the car was that, after the police conducted a search of the vehicle, what is being described as a “significant amount” of illegal drugs were discovered throughout the vehicle. While the report failed to mention the exact type of drugs found, it was serious enough for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to come and join the investigation.

At the time of this writing, it is believed that the individual ejected from the vehicle is slated to receive federal drug charges, while the person behind the wheel of the car will be arrested by deputies with the Orange County Police Department and charged with traffic offenses.

The initial report did not indicate if any other people were injured in the crash or as a result of the preceding high-speed chase.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.