Driver Of Pickup With Flat Tire Arrested After Chase

LAND O' LAKES - The Pasco County sheriff's deputy noticed the Dodge Ram had one flat tire as it drove past him, and he flicked on his emergency lights Sunday just before 2 p.m.

The pickup's driver didn't stop; instead, he speeded up. The deputy followed east on Wilderness Lake Boulevard and, less than half a mile into the pursuit, the driver lost control of the truck, which spun out and left the road, according to a report.

But the driver regained control and sped west toward the deputy's cruiser. The deputy swerved to avoid a collision, according to the report. The pursuit continued north on U.S. 41.

The truck reached speeds in excess of 85 mph, forcing several vehicles off the road, the report states. Then the driver abruptly slowed down, forcing the deputy behind him to slam on his brakes and another behind him to swerve.

The truck driver tried to turn onto a gravel driveway, but the truck struck another patrol car, the report states. The deputy wasn't injured, said sheriff's office spokesman Doug Tobin.

The pickup driver ran right out of his purple and gray Nikes as he tried to get away. But after about 200 yards he fell and was handcuffed.

Jermaine Devon Smith, 19, was arrested on charges of aggravated fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest without violence and driving while his license suspended or revoked. A background check revealed Smith's license was suspended for six months in March and had previously been suspended seven times, according to the report.

Deputies discovered $2,324 in cash in Smith's pockets. It wasn't clear why he had the money.

When deputies tried to interview him, Smith couldn't speak clearly because he was intoxicated, the report states.

He became unresponsive and was taken to Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point, where he was medically cleared before being booked into the Land O' Lakes Jail. Bail was set at $10,500.

Smith, of St. Petersburg, had borrowed the truck from an acquaintance.