U-Haul with sparks flying from its wheels leads chase before crash, Florida cops say

An unwieldy U-Haul trying to outrun deputies in the dark is unusual, but imagine it happening when the tires are shredded and throwing off sparks.

That’s what passing motorists saw just before midnight on Saturday, July 13, as the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office chased the van near Inverness, Florida, about a 70-mile drive northwest from Orlando.

The pursuit began around 11:30 p.m., when the U-Haul driver ignored a stop sign and tried to outrun a deputy at speeds neared 80 mph, the sheriff’s office said in a July 15 news release and in a July 16 email to McClatchy News.

“This prompted other deputies in the area to set up tire deflation devices (stop sticks) to immobilize the U-Haul, with one of the devices striking the driver’s side front and rear tires,” officials said.

“(It) then continued through Inverness, reaching speeds of 70 mph before running a red light. ... Deputies were able to observe the driver’s side tires of the van start to shred and spark.”

The driver ran yet another stop sign and found himself speeding at 60 mph along a “narrow and winding road” that led to a dead end, officials said.

“(He) ended up crashing through a wooden fence and striking a tree,” the sheriff’s office said. “Deputies then briefly chased (the driver) when he tried to run from his vehicle.”

The 27-year-old Inverness man was arrested and charged with:

• Fleeing/eluding with disregard for safety
• Criminal mischief ($1,000 or more)
• Reckless driving (with property damage)
• Resisting an officer without violence
• Driving while license suspended or revoked.

This story was originally published July 16, 2024 at 1:55 PM with the headline "U-Haul with sparks flying from its wheels leads chase before crash, Florida cops say."