This browser does not support the Video element.
Florida Sheriff Mike Chitwood apprehends driver
The Volusia County sheriff was in the right place at the right time when he took down a driver accused of impaired driving and wreaking havoc on the roadways.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The Volusia County sheriff was in the right place at the right time when he took down a driver accused of impaired driving and wreaking havoc on the roadways.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood had just left Longstreet Elementary School where he was reading to students when he heard on the scanner a driver was wreaking havoc on the roads and had just fled law enforcement.
According to the sheriff's office, Michael Pierce drove erratically on Tuesday morning on Interstate 95 near Oak Hill.
"I'm like, right here. I mean, if he continues north on I-95, I mean, he's, he has to go by me. We're going to make sure we get him," said Sheriff Chitwood. "Just another day in the life of the sheriff."
Law enforcement, including Sheriff Chitwood, stopped traffic on I-95 so deputies could deploy stop sticks that wrapped around Pierce’s windshield, ultimately causing him to stop his car. Chitwood ran to the truck and pulled Pierce out.
MORE HEADLINES:
- Flagler County deputy ejected from motorcycle after crash on I-95
- Florida state troopers to help during communities during spring break
- Driver cut from car after crash with ambulance in Marion County
- Truck crashes into fire hydrant causing flooding at Orlando intersection, home
"It's flashbacks. It's like I used to do this for a living. I wasn't the sheriff. I wasn't the police chief. I used to be a real, live cop who locked up people, and investigated crimes, and worked in narcotics," said Chitwood.
Pierce was arrested, and on body camera video, you can see him slurring his speech while he was at the back of the squad. He is facing several charges, including DUI and possession of crack cocaine.
"You have to do something. There are too many innocent lives. And this guy was all over. He was going from guardrail to guardrail," said Sheriff Chitwood. "Thank the good Lord nobody got killed. We got tons of motorcyclists out here in the community this time of year."
This is not the first time Sheriff Chitwood has jumped into action. In July 2023, Chitwood had just left a baseball game when he was in the right place at the right time and arrested a driver who had fled a traffic stop in the middle of the roadway.