‘Like a video game’: Watch a carjacking suspect take cops on wild ride through Florida
Talk about your wild rides.
A Florida man led police on a multi-county chase that began with an alleged carjacking in Hillsborough County and ended with his arrest in Gainesville in Alachua County early Monday.
According to a Facebook post from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received a request for assistance around 7 a.m. from the Florida Highway Patrol, with troopers pursuing a box truck stolen out of the Tampa area.
The driver, who had been involved in an armed carjacking before stealing the box truck, was traveling north in the southbound lanes on I-75, according to the sheriff’s office.
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After being pursued by cops, the suspect, later identified as Brandon Baker, 33, exited the interstate, and began to weave through back roads in Gainesville.
Dashcam video shows part of the chaos, with several police cars chasing Baker, who is driving manically all over the roads with other cars trying to get out of his way. At one point, he enters a strip mall, bumps into other cars and flies over curbs.
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The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office limited comments on the original post, but a social media user who lives in the area where the drama unfolded shared the story, telling followers: “This is crazy!!! I’m so glad I was at home at this time. Literally treating life like a video game.”
Eventually, Baker jumps out of the still moving truck and attempts to run, but he didn’t get far. You can see in the video, he is taken down by troopers and deputies.
The Riverview resident was arrested and taken to the Alachua County Jail, booked on multiple charges including grand theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated battery on an LEO and leaving the scene of a hit-and-run involving property damage.
This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 12:33 PM.
