A vehicle fleeing from Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) ended in a fatal crash early Monday morning.
At approximately 3:04 a.m., on Monday, December 30, 2024, deputies attempted to stop a silver 2023 Dodge Charger for a suspected window tint violation at 38th Avenue N and 34th Street. The driver fled, prompting deputies to request assistance from the FHP.
The suspect was later spotted driving recklessly and at high speed near Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Street North and 7th Avenue North. When a state trooper attempted to intercept the vehicle, the suspect accelerated further and turned off the vehicle’s lights to evade capture.
Deputies deployed spike strips, but the suspect managed to continue fleeing. Shortly after, the trooper lost sight of the vehicle.
The vehicle was eventually discovered crashed at 16th Street South and 7th Avenue in St. Petersburg at approximately 3:15 a.m.
The driver, a 30-year-old man from Seminole, was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries sustained in the crash.
The incident remains under investigation.