A high-speed chase that originated in St. Johns County and tore its way through Jacksonville ended in custody for a white female suspect in her 30s, causing major traffic delays on I-95. According to a report from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the pursuit started around 2:30 p.m. yesterday after deputies attempted to stop the woman for speeding and reckless driving; the woman escalated the situation by trying to run deputies off the road and brandishing a hammer out her window.
The Florida Highway Patrol was soon engaged in the chase, which reached speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour, and they called for assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as the suspect drove up I-95 towards Duval County, with officers in pursuit through Southside and downtown Jacksonville the suspect tried to ram into law enforcement vehicles and, during the pursuit, hit a civilian's car on the Fuller Warren Bridge fortunately the driver was not harmed. The intense high-speed endeavor reached its conclusion near the Trout River Bridge, far north of where I-95 intersects the county line, where a patrol officer executed a PIT maneuver around 3:05 p.m., halting the chase and allowing for the woman's apprehension.
Traffic on I-95 is currently backed up in both directions due to the pursuit's conclusion and an unrelated incident of severe weather that's plaguing the area, with authorities guiding drivers to consider alternate routes. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue assessed the woman for injuries following the chase though no severe injuries were reported, she now faces multiple felony charges in both St. Johns County and Duval County as the investigation into the events that led to this dangerous pursuit continues.
The suspect's identity has not been released, and details surrounding the initial pretext for the traffic stop — the actions that triggered the inter-county chase — remain under assessment by the authorities involved.. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office urges patience and cautions drivers around the troubled area, and updates regarding the traffic situation can be expected as law enforcement works to restore normalcy on this impacted stretch of I-95.
