VIDEO: Florida car dealership test drive leads to wild chase, ends with woman jumping into water, police say
Dashcam video captures wild chase in South Florida
Melina Logan was arrested earlier this month in South Florida after she stole a car during a test drive at a dealership and led law enforcement on a wild, high-speed chase, authorities said. The chase ended with the suspect jumping into a nearby canal, police said.
MIAMI, Fla. - A woman was arrested earlier this month in South Florida after she stole a car during a test drive at a dealership and led law enforcement on a wild, high-speed chase, authorities said.
Melina Logan, 27, of North Carolina, faces several charges including grand theft, aggravated fleeing and eluding, resisting an officer without violence, and leaving the scene of a crash involving an injury, according to an arrest affidavit.
On May 9, Logan arrived at the Honda of South Miami on S Dixie Highway to test drive a new 2024 Honda Civic. During the test drive, police said Logan waited for the salesperson to exit the car and when they did, she drove off.
Booking photo of Melina Logan (Credit: Miami-Dade Police Department)
The Miami-Dade Police Department alerted law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the stolen car.
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper located the vehicle northbound on State Road 826 and NW 74th Street and tried to conduct a traffic stop. Logan refused to stop and continued driving recklessly on SR-826 at a high rate of speed, police said.
Logan allegedly reached 90 mph as she made "aggressive lane changes between heavy traffic," the affidavit stated. She also used the paved shoulder in an attempt to bypass traffic.
The suspect allegedly reached 90 mph as she made "aggressive lane changes between heavy traffic," the affidavit stated.
The wild chase was captured on a trooper's dash camera.
The pursuit came to an end when Logan approached standstill traffic on an exit ramp and collided with three other vehicles, causing the stolen car to become disabled.
The driver's side door of the stolen vehicle had become inoperable, police said, so Logan attempted to get out of the vehicle through the passenger side door, which was pinned against a concrete barrier.
While troopers yelled at her to exit the vehicle, she opened the passenger side door, hopped over the barrier and jumped into a nearby water canal, the report said.
Other law enforcement agencies arrived at the scene and threw safety ropes at Logan to help her to land, but officers said she refused to grab the ropes.
Police officers ultimately jumped into the water and after a "brief struggle" Logan was taken into custody. She was taken to a local medical center and cleared for booking at the Miami-Dade jail.
Police said at least one person was injured due to a crash caused by the chase.