TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Two Georgia teenagers led police on a high-speed chase across Florida’s Big Bend region Tuesday.
The chase began when officers of the Jackson County Sherriff’s Office were passed by a car going well over the 70 mph speed limit around the Marianna, Blountstown exit on I-10 eastbound. Before starting their chase, they said the driver of the car drove recklessly, nearly causing accidents by weaving in-and-out of traffic.
As officers tried to pull the car over, the car quickly sped up in an effort to outrun the officers. The car then exited off of I-10 at the Grand Ridge, Blountstown exit and led officers south to the edge of Calhoun County before merging back onto I-10 eastbound and re-entering Jackson County.
Officers reported that the driver of the car disregarded the safety of other drivers, even running some of them off the road, all while going at a high rate of speed.
Jackson County officers were then joined by officers from the Sneads Police Department, Gadsden County Sherriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol. The police chase ran well into Gadsden County, where the driver intentionally side-swiped a police car while trying to avoid being boxed in by other police cars.
The chase finally came to an end before the Eagle Mountain Road exit on I-10 eastbound where the driver stopped on their own.
Officers identified a 16-year-old as the driver of the stolen car from Marietta, Ga., and the passenger as a 17-year-old runaway also from Marietta, Ga. The two were also found to be in possession of fraudulent checks, identification cards, other suspected stolen items along with a number of THC edibles and vape pen cartridges.
The juveniles were arrested and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center in Tallahassee for criminal misconduct.
