Controversial FHP maneuver on stolen car ends in Turnpike crash killing driver

A controversial PIT maneuver by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper on a stolen car also being chased by the Broward Sheriff’s Office ended in a crash Thursday that killed the driver of a Nissan Altima parked on the shoulder of Florida’s Turnpike.

The crash happened in the midst of the afternoon rush hour.

The investigation — which involved multiple Broward law enforcement agencies — began shortly before 4 p.m. in Fort Lauderdale, when someone called 911 to report a stolen white Ford F-150 with an orange stripe belonging to A-1 Orange Exterior Building Service, according to the arrest affidavit of the alleged truck thief, Anna Giza, 53.

A be-on-the-lookout alert was sent to the Coconut Creek Police Department and the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deerfield Beach district after the truck was last tracked near Interstate 95 northbound and Southwest 10th Street in Deerfield Beach, the affidavit states.

At about 4:28 p.m., BSO Deputy Ruiz placed the truck near Sample Road and Banks Road in Coconut Creek, according to the affidavit. Minutes later, Coconut Creek K-9 Officer Feisthammel radioed that he had spotted the truck going eastbound on Sample Road near Lyons Road.

A few minutes later, Coconut Creek officers attempted a traffic stop at Sample Road and the southbound entrance to the Turnpike in Pompano Beach. When Ruiz arrived, he saw “multiple marked Coconut Creek police vehicles with their emergency lights activated were stopped around the vehicle and uniformed officers were outside of their vehicles at the front windows of the stolen vehicle giving commands to the driver to exit the vehicle,” according to the arrest affidavit.

Investigators say Giza refused to get out. Instead, she put the truck in reverse and backed into a marked BSO patrol vehicle, striking its front bumper while a deputy was sitting inside, the affidavit states. She then drove toward a group of Coconut Creek officers, hitting one of their patrol cars before fleeing southbound onto the Florida Turnpike.

BSO deputies begin chase

That set in motion the chase by BSO deputies.

“The driver of the vehicle was driving in manner that demonstrated a wanton disregard for the safety of persons and property by driving at a high rate of speed, weaving in and out of traffic, and driving in the shoulder to evade deputies in marked police units with emergency lights and sirens activated,” BSO deputies wrote in Giza’s arrest affidavit.

At approximately 4:35 p.m., a Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter joined the pursuit, providing updates over the radio, according to the affidavit.

Around 4:40 p.m., the stolen truck struck another car about half a mile before the Sunrise Boulevard exit as it continued southbound on the Turnpike with patrol cars pursuing it, the affidavit states.

At about 4:41 p.m., K-9 Deputy Wengert attempted a PIT maneuver — or precision immobilization technique, a controversial police tactic where the officer pushes the rear end sideways of a vehicle being chased, forcing a fleeing vehicle to spin and stop — in the southbound lanes near the Sunrise Boulevard exit.

He tried to stop the driver because she posed “an imminent threat of physical harm to the public and law enforcement officers,” but he ended the attempt due to concerns about traffic conditions on the Turnpike during the afternoon rush hour, the affidavit said.

FHP PIT maneuver

Roughly 30 seconds later, Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Major attempted a second PIT maneuver. The stolen truck hit the right shoulder wall and rammed into a black Nissan Altima that had pulled onto the shoulder. The truck came to a stop.

The driver was taken into custody, according to the affidavit.

The driver of the Nissan Altima was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities did not name the driver who was killed.

In a 2020 investigation, the Washington Post reported that at least 30 people had died and hundreds were injured from 2016 to 2019 when police used PIT maneuvers to stop pursuits.

The affidavit states that Coconut Creek Sgt. Mullin and K-9 Deputy Rogers were jostled when their patrol vehicles were intentionally struck during the pursuit. Both were taken to hospitals by fire rescue for treatment.

Driver of stolen car gives multiple names

Giza was also taken to a hospital. According to the affidavit, she gave deputies multiple names, including “Anna Giza” and “Anna Gerich,” along with two dates of birth — “04/18/1973” and “04/17/1971.” She told investigators she did not know her Social Security number, address, phone number or the names of relatives.

The information she provided did not match any known records, the affidavit states, and a fingerprint scan did not identify her. She was booked under Giza.

Investigators say Giza is responsible for the Nissan driver’s death.

She is charged with felony murder, two counts of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing causing serious injury or death, grand-theft auto and resisting an officer without violence.

Miami Herald staff writer Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report.