LAKELAND, Fla. – A Lakeland woman’s attempt to evade law enforcement ended with her arrest on multiple charges after a high-speed chase and crash. 38-year-old Tareva Thomas was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday, February 9th, following an incident that began the previous night.
Around 11:25 p.m. on Saturday, a deputy noticed Thomas’s Dodge Charger leaving a gas station parking lot with only one headlight, no front bumper, and then speeding down Memorial Boulevard. When the deputy activated emergency lights, Thomas accelerated, clearly attempting to flee.
Thomas ran multiple stop signs before the deputy performed a PIT maneuver, causing the Charger to spin out, hit a mailbox, and then collide with a parked Ford F-150 on Ruth Avenue. Thomas was then ordered out of the vehicle and detained.
During the stop, deputies discovered that Thomas possessed three Florida driver’s licenses, despite her license being suspended last year. The license plate on the Charger did not match the vehicle, and she had no insurance.
Thomas exhibited signs of impairment, including bloodshot and watery eyes and the odor of marijuana. A marijuana “roach” was found in her possession. After failing field sobriety tests, she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
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Breath samples provided at the jail showed no presence of alcohol, but Thomas agreed to a urine test. When asked why she fled, Thomas stated she “didn’t want to get into trouble.”
Thomas was charged with fleeing to elude, DUI, possession of a concealed firearm during the commission of a felony, attaching a tag unassigned, driving while license suspended, resisting law enforcement without violence, and possession of marijuana under 20 grams. She also received citations for possessing more than one driver’s license, possession of a suspended driver’s license, and having no insurance.
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