LARGO — A St. Petersburg woman is facing multiple charges after Florida Highway Patrol says she fled in her Hyundai Somata during an attempted traffic stop on U.S. 19, drove at high speeds through traffic and red lights, and later crashed into another motorist on Interstate 275.
Leondra Walden, 31, was arrested on August 28, 2026, and charged with reckless driving, attempting to elude a police officer, and aggravated fleeing or eluding involving a crash and injury, according to Pinellas County court records.
According to an arrest affidavit, at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Friday, August 28th, an FHP trooper was conducting proactive enforcement on U.S. 19 in Largo when the trooper observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed, changing lanes among other vehicles and following multiple vehicles too closely.
The trooper activated emergency equipment in an unmarked FHP vehicle and attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but investigators say Walden failed to stop and attempted to evade the trooper.
A separate affidavit alleges Walden fled both northbound and southbound on U.S. 19 at a high rate of speed, changing lanes and running red lights while attempting to get away from the trooper. The pursuit later continued onto northbound I-275, where authorities say Walden crashed into an uninvolved motorist’s Toyota Rav4 near Roosevelt Blvd.
Walden was transported to Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital with minor injuries and was booked into the Pinellas County Jail several hours later. No serious injuries were reported to the occupants of the vehicle struck by Walden.