Deputies make arrest in 'street takeover' that kept fire truck from responding to emergency call
Arrest made in 'street takeover' incident
An arrest has been made in what authorities called a "street takeover" on Sand Lake Road in Orange County back in April. The Orange County Sheriff's Office said a driver brought a fire truck to a stop by driving donuts around it and prevented it from responding to an emergency call. After a three-month investigation, the driver was later identified as 25-year-old Elijah Grove-Thomas, whose Dodge Charger Hellcat was later impounded.
ORLANDO, Fla. - An arrest has been made in what authorities called a "street takeover" on Sand Lake Road in Orange County back in April.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office said a driver brought a fire truck to a stop by driving donuts around it and prevented it from responding to an emergency call. After a three-month investigation, the driver was later identified as 25-year-old Elijah Grove-Thomas, whose Dodge Charger Hellcat was later impounded.
Video recorded by the sheriff's office helicopter on the evening of April 2 appears to show a massive crowd swarming the intersection of Sand Lake and Winegard roads.
In a video recorded on the ground, two people can be seen standing on the car as it spins around the fire truck.
The sheriff's office said Grove-Thomas wore a mask while he was driving, but a deputy recognized the car from a similar intersection takeover at another location. The vehicle had similar rust spots, dents, custom wheels and brake pads, and a tag with a zombie's hand on it.
Investigators said they also found an Instagram account with several pictures of the same car. When deputies tracked down Grove-Thomas, they said he admitted he was behind the wheel last spring, but that he didn't expect the scene to get that out of control.
Grove-Thomas faces felony and misdemeanor charges.