Bouncing toddler survives car chase that included gunfire and crash, Florida cops say

An unsecured toddler bounced its way through a police chase that included gunshots and a crash, Florida police said.

It happened on Wednesday, March 1, and the child survived unscathed, the Cocoa Police Department said in a news release. Cocoa is about 45 miles southeast of Orlando.

“Officers attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic infraction. The female driver fled,” police said. “The male passenger in the vehicle fired at least three rounds at police as they attempted to flee.”

Multiple law enforcement agencies chased the vehicle northbound on U.S. 1. The pursuit covered about 16 miles before “the driver crashed into another vehicle in Titusville,” police said.

The toddler was found as officers were arresting the driver and a passenger, officials said.

Investigators report the child “was not properly secured,” but did not suffer injuries. The age of the child was not released.

The 24-year-old woman driving the vehicle was charged with child abuse without great bodily harm, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license and fleeing with disregard of safety of other persons, jail record show.

The 30-year-old man riding in the vehicle was charged with two counts of attempted murder, three counts of discharging a firearm from a vehicle, possession of a firearm/ammo by a convicted felon, child abuse without great bodily harm and battery on a law enforcement officer, records show.

This story was originally published March 2, 2023 at 8:31 AM.