PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – A 30-year-old Seminole man lost his life early Monday morning in a fiery crash after fleeing from a traffic stop in St. Petersburg.
The incident began around 3:04 AM when Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to stop a 2023 Dodge Charger for a window tint violation. The driver, however, refused to stop and fled from deputies, who then requested assistance from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
READ: WATCH: Man Arrested By Hillsborough Deputies Following DUI Crash On Waters Avenue In Tampa
An FHP trooper spotted the Charger speeding recklessly near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North and 7th Avenue North. The trooper attempted to catch up to the vehicle, but the suspect accelerated to an even higher speed and turned off the Charger’s lights.
Deputies deployed spike strips in an effort to stop the fleeing vehicle, but the driver managed to avoid them and continue fleeing. The trooper briefly lost sight of the Charger, but soon discovered that it had crashed near the intersection of 16th Street South and 7th Avenue North in St. Petersburg.
The Charger had caught fire after the crash, and the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
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