A 34-year-old man found himself behind bars Sunday night after a high-speed chase through Summerfield involving a stolen vehicle.
Marion County sheriff’s deputies reported that the driver of a white 2005 Chevrolet pickup truck, later identified as James Joseph Luxton, of Umatilla, fled from them at high speeds from the intersection of Lake Griffin Road and Marion County Road while nearly colliding with other vehicles. Luxton also left the roadway multiple times while attempting to evade deputies and drove into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road, a sheriff’s office report states.
A deputy eventually was able to use an immobilization maneuver on the pickup in the 17500 block of S U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in Summerfield. Luxton surrendered and was taken into custody and his female passenger was detained, the report says.
After being read his rights, Luxton said he took possession of the pickup, which was reported stolen in Lake County, on Saturday. He said a man named “Joey” offered him the use of the truck for $50, so he paid him the money and took the vehicle. He also said the man had told him that the pickup “may have been reported stolen,” the report says.
Luxton told deputies he heard their sirens and saw their flashing lights but was “just trying to get away so he could see his kids.” He added that he fled because he panicked and didn’t want to go back to prison.
Luxton’s passenger told deputies she didn’t know the pickup had been reported stolen. She said she repeatedly told Luxton to pull over while he was fleeing from the deputies but he told her he had “to get to the woods” and to Lake County, the report says.
Deputies searched the pickup and found one live round of 7.62 rifle ammunition lying in the open on the center dash console within Luxton’s reach. The owner of the truck told deputies she didn’t own a firearm and the ammunition didn’t belong to her. Deputies confirmed that Luxton was convicted of a felony on Sept. 28, 2017 in Marion County, which would prevent him from having a firearm or ammunition.
Luxton, who lives at 6451 SE 182nd Ave. in Umatilla, was transported to the Marion County Jail, where he was charged with fleeing/eluding with disregard of safety to persons or property, grand theft of a motor vehicle and possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon. He was being held on $25,000 bond and is due in Marion County Court June 9 at 9 a.m. to answer to the charges.