MARIANNA -- A Fort Walton Beach man was arrested early Sunday after leading a Jackson County deputy on a chase.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Sunday at about 1:15 a.m., a deputy was attempting to get on I-10 from U.S. 231 when he met a vehicle coming off the interstate on the on ramp, traveling against traffic. When the deputy turned around and activated his emergency lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle, a 2006 Pontiac, the vehicle fled down the ramp and continued on U.S. 231, traveling south in the northbound lane.
The Pontiac turned east on Dilmore Road at a high speed with the deputy is pursuit until hitting a dead end at Stanland Road and crashing into a telephone pole. At this point, the driver of the Pontiac attempted to flee on foot, but was caught by the deputy, whom he hit several times in the ensuing struggle. Escaping from the deputy, the suspect fled through a wooded area and across a pasture into another wooded area, where he was tracked by K-9 teams from Jackson and Apalachee Correctional Institutions until after daylight when he was spotted by a resident and was taken into custody. During this pursuit, the suspect damaged a fence of a home in the area.
After the subject was medically cleared due to injuries sustained in the crash, he was placed in the Jackson County Jail. He was charged with fleeing attempting to elude, resisting with violence, battery on law enforcement officer, DUI, DUI with property damage, leaving scene of accident, reckless driving and several other traffic citations.