Florida man desperately tries to end police pursuit by hiding in a ditch
The words “Florida man” are a bit of a joke as of late. Stories of drivers with live alligators in their cars, drug-addled shenanigans, and wild, daring crimes are commonplace. As such, it’s less than surprising to hear about a Florida car thief involved in a police pursuit. However, this particular joyrider decided that the best way to get rid of his blue-clad entourage was to hide in a drainage ditch.
A wild police pursuit ended after a Florida man with a suspended license and a stolen truck attempted to hide in a drainage ditch
Car theft isn’t an unusual occurrence in Florida. Like many other states, thieves steal tens of thousands of cars every year in the Sunshine State. So, it’s not surprising to hear of a stolen Ford F-250 pickup truck in Fort Meyers. However, this theft culminated in a police pursuit with the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
According to WFLA Tampa, a 36-year-old man from Naples, Florida stole a Ford F-250 Super Duty pickup truck. Police were looking for the truck after it was reportedly used in a burglary. After Florida troopers tried to pull the car thief over, he fled “at a high rate of speed.”
Typically, police officers will follow a suspect during a pursuit and intervene based on factors like traffic density. Of the possible interventions, law enforcement officers (LEOs) may use tools like tire deflation devices (TDDs). That, or they might use a tactic like the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT maneuver) to end a risky police pursuit.
In the case of the Florida man behind the wheel of the stolen F-250, police officers used a PIT maneuver to stop the runaway truck. Police used the PIT maneuver to instigate a spin and the thief crashed the truck. Desperate to get away from the pursuing police officers, the man took off on foot and hid in a ditch.
He hid in the drainage canal until FHP officers found him. Consequently, police charged the truck thief with reckless driving, grand theft auto, resisting arrest, and several other charges. Interestingly enough, the man was also driving on a suspended license. Still, that license status might be the least of his concerns after the wild pursuit.
