Watch: Fleeing Suspect Asks for Cigarette After Fla. Deputies' PIT Maneuver Flips Truck

Lee County sheriff's deputies used a PIT maneuver to stop a truck fleeing a traffic stop, and the suspect's first request after climbing out of the overturned vehicle was a cigarette.
Source Officer.com News
Oct. 23, 2026
2 min read
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What to Know

  • A vehicle chase ended when Lee County sheriff's deputies used a PIT maneuver to stop an accused cocaine trafficker who was driving recklessly into oncoming traffic.
  • The suspect's truck overturned during the maneuver, and body camera footage captured him asking deputies for a cigarette before surrendering.
  • Deputies allegedly found trafficking amounts of cocaine and other drugs in the vehicle, and the suspect faces cocaine trafficking, reckless driving and additional charges.
Lee County, FL, Sheriff's Office
Suspect asks Lee County deputies after a chase

Body camera footage captured an accused cocaine trafficker asking Lee County sheriff's deputies for a cigarette after a PIT maneuver flipped his vehicle during a chase Sunday.

Key Takeaways

  • Most crashes involved responding to calls or patrols, with some incidents linked to high-speed pursuits and distracted driving.
  • A notable number of struck-by incidents occurred during night hours and at crash scenes.

Check out this story for more about traffic-related dangers.

An accused cocaine trafficker who fled a traffic stop over the weekend had one requqest when he climbed out of his truck, which overturned when Florida deputies performed a PIT maneuver during a chase: He wanted a cigarette.

The incident happened around 3 a.m. Sunday when Lee County sheriff's deputies helped Fort Myers police with finding a vehicle that had fled a traffic stop into North Fort Myers, the sheriff's office stated in a social media post that included body camera footage. The driver, identified as Zachary Murray, drove around a parked vehicle and nearly collided with a truck as he ran through a red light.

Deputies tried to pull over Murray, who lost traction as he accelerated and almost struck another vehicle. He then drove over a median and began traveling into oncoming traffic.

That's when deputies performed a PIT maneuver "to prevent Murray from continuing to drive recklessly and potentially cause a deadly crash," the sheriff's office stated. The impact of the maneuver knocked Murray's vehicle on its side, and body camera captured deputies approaching with their guns drawn.

"Can I get a cigarette?" Murray is heard asking deputies in the footage.

A deputy tells Murray to get out, and the suspect apologizes as he exits the overturned vehicle through the driver's side window.

Deputies found "trafficking amounts of Cocaine" and other drugs inside the vehicle. Murray "has an extensive criminal history," and he was charged with trafficking cocaine, reckless driving and other counts, according to the sheriff's office.

About the Author

Joe Vince
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Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
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