Good Samaritan Helps Florida Trooper Catch Fleeing Driver After High-Speed Pursuit
What to Know
- The trooper spotted a vehicle traveling 92 mph on U.S. 19 and attempted to stop it.
- The vehicle struck a concrete barrier and guardrail before the driver fled on foot.
- A passing motorist offered the trooper a ride toward the suspect.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — A good Samaritan helped a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper apprehend a fleeing driver after a high-speed pursuit in Pinellas Park, providing the trooper with a ride in his pickup truck.
FHP released dashcam and body-worn camera footage showing the citizen stopping to assist the trooper during the Oct. 20 incident, according to WFLA-TV.
According to an FHP arrest affidavit, the trooper was operating an unmarked patrol vehicle when he spotted a black vehicle traveling southbound on U.S. 19 at 92 mph.
The trooper attempted to overtake the vehicle, but the driver continued at a high rate of speed while changing lanes through traffic.
As the driver attempted to exit onto State Road 690, the vehicle struck a concrete barrier before colliding with a guardrail.
Dashcam footage shows the trooper exiting his patrol vehicle and pointing his handgun at the driver. However, the driver continued fleeing in the damaged vehicle.
The driver stopped a short distance later, exited the vehicle, jumped a guardrail and ran down an embankment. The trooper pursued him on foot.
Body-worn camera footage shows a passing motorist stopping his pickup truck alongside the trooper and repeatedly offering assistance.
“Hop on, hop on,” the citizen told the trooper.
The trooper climbed into the truck and responded, “Go, go, go.”
The motorist drove toward the fleeing suspect. The trooper then ordered the driver to stop before exiting the truck and taking him into custody.
The suspect was identified as Dalawn Damon Washington, 23, of St. Petersburg. He was arrested at 11:40 a.m.
According to troopers, Washington did not have a Florida driver's license and had an active Pinellas County warrant for failure to appear in court.
Arrest documents state that Washington struck his head against the plastic partition inside a patrol vehicle after being taken into custody, cutting his forehead. Emergency medical services personnel were already at the scene and assessed his injuries.
Washington was taken to Northside Hospital for medical evaluation and transported to the Pinellas County Jail after his release.
He faces charges of fleeing to elude police, operating a motor vehicle without a valid license, reckless driving and leaving the scene of a crash involving damage.
