On April 17, 2024, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), along with their law enforcement partners at the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Clearwater Police Department, and Largo Police Department, participated in a one-day enforcement detail focused on motorcycle safety.
The operational goal was to deter and apprehend motorcyclists driving recklessly, endangering the safety of other motorists on the road. Examples of reckless behaviors include driving at excessive speeds, weaving in and out of traffic without signaling, failure to maintain a single lane, and non-compliance with basic traffic laws, such as obeying traffic signals and signs and failing to move over for vehicles on the side of the road (move over law).
Through the collaborative efforts of all participating agencies, law enforcement made a total of 124 traffic stops, which resulted in the following:
- 8 Felony arrests
- 6 Flee to elude
- 2 Habitual driving with license suspended or revoked (DWLSR)
- 5 Driving Under the Influence (DUI)
- 12 Misdemeanors
- 50 Infractions
- Speed
- Obscured tag
- Move Over
- 60 Warnings issued
A total of four arrests were made on the individuals listed below. Each was booked at Pinellas County Jail without incident.
Ponchellis Jackson, 24, of Tampa, was observed traveling at 81 mph in a posted 55 mph zone off Gandy Boulevard near Mangrove Cay Lane at approximately 7:26 p.m. The trooper reported Jackson at approximately 100 mph before approaching traffic to slow down. After the trooper activated his emergency lights and siren, Jackson looked back and fled from the traffic stop at high speed. Jackson ran a red light before approaching I-275 and entered the southbound lanes. He continued to flee, weaving between vehicles traveling over 100 mph. Jackson exited 54th Avenue S, but the trooper lost sight and terminated the pursuit.
Another trooper observed the same motorcycle moments later and attempted a traffic stop at Gandy Boulevard and Sunset Blvd. Jackson took evasive maneuvers to evade the traffic stop. Jackson failed to stop at the red light at 4th Street N and Gandy Blvd, where he crashed into an Amazon company van. He was immediately taken into custody and facing the following charges.
- Flee to elude, 2 counts
- Reckless driving with crash causing property damage
- No motorcycle endorsement
Zander Hilbert, age 21, of Pinellas Park, was observed operating a motorcycle at high speed on US-19 near 110th Avenue N at approximately 8:14 p.m. Hilbert exited US-19 on 49th Street N, traveled north, and then returned on US-19. The trooper conducted a traffic stop, and after Hilbert looked back, he fled at the right rate of speed. The FHP aircraft was overhead, and the motorcycle began to be tracked to Hilbert’s home, where he was arrested. He was immediately taken into custody and facing the following charges.
- Flee to elude
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper observed a motorcyclist traveling eastbound with an expired tag on Roosevelt Boulevard at approximately 9:09 p.m. After the trooper activated his lights and siren, 50-year-old Elizabeth Santos of Tampa accelerated to a high rate of speed while weaving through traffic in an attempt to evade. The FHP aircraft tracked the motorcycle, which led to Santos’s arrest. Her Florida ID card identified her. She had multiple license suspensions and had been convicted multiple times prior. In addition, she did not have the required motorcycle endorsement.
She was immediately taken into custody and facing the following charges.
- Flee to elude
- No motorcycle endorsement
- Driving with license suspended or revoked (3rd offense)
Troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol observed 18-year-old Taner Demarzo on a green motorcycle driving more than 100 mph in the area of Main Street and Overcash Drive. Demarzo exited onto SR-580, going west from US-19. Demarzo was monitored by aircraft and fled from a trooper during a traffic stop. Demarzo made a U-turn and started heading back to US-19. At a speed over 100 mph, he ran red lights and entered US-19. He was eventually taken into custody as he attempted to run from a parking garage on the following charges.
- Flee to elude
- Reckless driving
The Florida Highway Patrol is committed to enforcing safe driving in all communities across the state. Through partnerships with local agencies, the Department aims to ensure motorists obey traffic laws so everyone on the road is safe.
To learn more about motorcycle safety, visit our motorcycle safety webpage.