A Eustis man was jailed Sunday after a high-speed chase involving a stolen vehicle started in Belleview and ended with a traffic crash in Lady Lake.
The incident started when a Marion County sheriff’s deputy saw a blue Hyundai Elantra traveling at a high rate of speed in the 6800 block of SE Abshier Boulevard. He caught up to the Hyundai in the 11600 block of S U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and saw it go around several other stopped vehicles, a sheriff’s office report states.
The deputy activated his emergency lights and siren, but the vehicle, driven by 29-year-old Gary Arlen Green, failed to stop and continued heading south on the highway. The deputy was then advised that the vehicle had been reported stolen in Lake County, the report says.
The deputy initiated a pursuit and noted that Green ran through multiple red lights, swerved in and out of traffic at high rates of speed and exceeded 100 mph. Green ran over Stop Sticks in the 17600 block of S U.S. Hwy. 27/441, which disabled the Hyundai’s front tires. But he continued to drive the damaged vehicle and the pursuit moved into Lake County, the report states.
After a deputy attempted to use a maneuver to stop Green, he continued into Lady Lake, lost control of the vehicle at the intersection of County Road 466 and U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and rear-ended a white Nissan Rogue. He then attempted to travel west on Lemon Street but the deputy was able to initiative a maneuver that ended the pursuit.
Green exited the driver’s seat wearing a red bandana over his face. He dropped to the ground and was quickly taken into custody and placed in handcuffs, the report says.
Deputies searched Green and located a clear plastic baggie in the right pocket of his shorts that contained a crystal-like substance that weighed more than 14 grams and tested positive for methamphetamine, the report says.
A computer check showed that Green’s driver’s license was suspended on Dec. 26, 2017 in Volusia County. He was transported to an area hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Lake County sheriff’s deputies also had been searching for the stolen Hyundai after its owner reported it being stolen from the Circle K in Leesburg at County Road 44 and County Road 473. The owner said she had been in the store for about five minutes and had left her vehicle running, a Lake County sheriff’s office report states.
Patty Silagy was one of the area residents who were sitting at the busy Lady Lake intersection when the pursuit ended. She posted on Facebook that she and her daughters were headed to her older daughter’s house for Easter when the incident ended.
“We were second in line at a red light when this car came barreling towards us with a wall of cops behind him,” she wrote. “We had nowhere to go and we braced for impact. By the grace of God, he missed us by inches.”
Silagy said her vehicle was sitting next to the Nissan Rogue that was caught up in the crash.
“Thank God the man in the vehicle next to us that was hit suffered a minor scratch to the face,” she wrote. “Praise God we are all OK tonight. Thanks to all of the amazing police!”
