High-speed pursuit along I-4 ends in crash near DeLand, FHP says
DELAND, Fla. - A high-speed chase ended in a crash at a DeLand business in the middle of the day on Wednesday, with the driver being arrested just minutes after the pursuit concluded.
The suspect, identified as Patrick Gordon, has about a dozen previous felony convictions and an outstanding drug-trafficking warrant, according to law enforcement.
"Well, that's the most exciting event I've ever had," said Clint Hulslander, who witnessed the chase's conclusion.
The chase began when Florida Highway Patrol troopers clocked Gordon allegedly driving around 90 miles per hour on Interstate 4 near Daytona Beach. Troopers noted that a woman was in the passenger seat.
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Troopers said the driver and passenger switched seats when they attempted to pull the vehicle over. The woman exited the car with her hands up, but Gordon took off again, reaching speeds of up to 135 mph.
The chase continued to DeLand, where troopers used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle. Gordon then crashed and fled on foot.
"It took them like 45 minutes to find him and get him arrested," Hulslander said, commending law enforcement for their persistence. "I'm going to have a fence to fix, but nobody got hurt, and justice is being done."
Investigators allegedly found drugs in the car. Gordon is now facing charges of fleeing and eluding, in addition to the outstanding warrant for heroin trafficking out of Osceola County.