Driver fleeing cops after party crashes into vehicle, killing one, Florida officials say
One person is dead following a fatal crash in Florida that began after an incident at a house party, police said.
Deputies first got a call about a large house party around 1 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 14, according to a news release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. When deputies arrived at the home, which had been rented out, they found more than 150 juveniles at the party, which word had spread of on social media.
One “heavily intoxicated” person at the party had to be taken away by ambulance while deputies worked to break up the party, according to the release.
When one lieutenant approached a 2019 Range Rover and asked the driver to roll the tinted windows down, the people inside refused to do so, according to police. After deputies realized the Range Rover had expired tags, the driver “intentionally rammed the Lieutenant’s agency vehicle which was parked in front of him, and fled the area,” the release said.
The deputy pursuing the SUV lost sight of the vehicle as it crossed into Osceola County, but he continued in the general direction that it was last seen driving, Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news conference.
As the deputy continued driving, he came across a “horrific” vehicle crash, Judd said. The fleeing SUV had driven through a four-way stop past three cars and crashed into another car, killing a driver.
The sheriff’s office did not publicly identify the victim but said it was a 27-year-old man, FOX News 13 reported.
As the deputy drove up on the crash site, he saw suspects fleeing the SUV and chased after them, Judd said in the news conference.
Three people were arrested who were seen fleeing from the scene of the crash, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies discovered that the SUV had been stolen and a firearm was “in plain sight within the SUV,” according to the release. The firearm appeared to be an assault rifle, Judd said in the news conference. There may be a fourth suspect that was in the vehicle still at large. The three men arrested face multiple charges.
The sheriff’s office made three more arrests in relation to the house party, including two people who hosted the party and another attendee for battery of a law enforcement officer, according to deputies.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate the house party and the SUV crash with the help of Osceola County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol.
This story was originally published January 17, 2023 at 9:23 AM with the headline "Driver fleeing cops after party crashes into vehicle, killing one, Florida officials say."
