Chaos unfolded on the roads of Tampa Friday night as 39-year-old Edwin Carrion-Andino engaged in a high-speed chase with law enforcement while behind the wheel of a reportedly stolen vehicle. Carrion-Andino, identified by the WTSP, led police on a dangerous pursuit reaching speeds up to 110 mph along I-4.
The Florida Highway Patrol told WFLA that the chase began shortly after 9 p.m. when a trooper was alerted to the stolen Nissan Sentra being pursued by the Lakeland Police Department.
As the situation quickly escalated, Carrion-Andino attempted to, but failed to successfully merge onto I-75. It was at this juncture where he lost control, resulting in a collision with another vehicle, as noted by the FOX 13 News. Ignoring commands to stop, he fled on foot and ran into a nearby treeline. His attempt at escape was thwarted by the deployment of a K-9 officer named Mako, which brought the chase to an end. According to FHP, "Carrion-Andino showed signs of impairment and told law enforcement that he used marijuana and molly before driving."
The tumultuous incident raises significant questions, including the circumstances which allowed someone with a driver's license revoked since 2003 to remain such an Mako-like presence on the roads. FOX 13 News reveals that Carrion-Andino's license had been suspended due to his status as a habitual traffic offender. WTSP reports that his most recent suspension occurred in March 2023 when he failed to pay a traffic ticket.
Multiple charges have now been brought against Carrion-Andino, according to WFLA, including fleeing to elude, resisting officer without violence, grand theft of a motor vehicle, DUI with property damage or personal injury, leaving the scene of a crash with injury, and offenses against police animals. This arrest adds one more layer to the troubling narrative of habitual offenders who manage to somehow stay active on the roads, endangering the public while skirting law enforcement's grasp, until such a moment of dangerous theatrics as this chase presents itself.
