Wanted driver crashes into Floral City home, injuring 1
FLORAL CITY, Fla. (WFLA) — A wanted man crashed into a Floral City home Tuesday evening and injured one person inside the house, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said they tried to pull over 20-year-old Traveon Jaquaad Samuels after he ran a stop sign at the intersection of East Gobbler Drive and South Withlapopka Drive.
When deputies turned on their emergency lights, they said Samues reversed toward the patrol car, stopped and made a U-turn.
They said Samuels continued to drive recklessly through residential streets and was going 60 mph in a 30 mph zone.
Deputies used a tire deflation device on Samuel’s car and hit the car’s front right tire. However, Samuels continued to flee from deputies and then started driving on the wrong side of the road.
The sheriff’s office said he nearly stuck another patrol car head-on.
Samuels eventually tried to evade deputies by driving through a backyard but crashed into a home, according to the sheriff’s office. He then left the car and began to run on foot. Deputies said they captured him and took him into custody a short time later.
One person inside the home was hurt and taken to a hospital.
According to deputies, several bags of fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin were found in Samuels’ car.
“Samuels has a lengthy criminal history throughout our state and has a habitual disregard for the law. He not only put our deputies’ safety in immediate danger but endangered the entire community through both his reckless driving and trafficking in illicit narcotics,” said Sheriff Mike Prendergast. “I am proud of our team’s quick actions in ensuring this dangerous criminal was removed from our streets. Thankfully, the individual who was injured in this incident is recovering.”
Samuels was charged with fleeing and eluding with disregard for safety, trafficking in fentanyl, trafficking in methamphetamine, trafficking in heroin, possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, aggravated assault on law enforcement, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting law enforcement without violence.
He had an active warrant out of Putman County for fentanyl and trafficking in methamphetamine, the sheriff’s office said.
Samuels was taken to the Citrus County Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.
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