A late-night high-speed chase in Columbia County ended Tuesday when deputies deployed spike strips, a P.I.T. maneuver, and a K-9 unit to stop a fleeing SUV north of Lake City, according to sheriff’s officials. The driver was taken into custody and later booked on multiple charges. Deputies reported that the pursuit reached speeds of around 100 mph along County Road 131.
According to News4JAX, deputies first tried to pull over a silver Chevrolet Traverse around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday after it blew through a stop sign near County Road 131 (SW Tustenuggee Avenue) and SW Cumorah Hill. Instead of stopping, the SUV took off and was clocked at about 102 mph as the chase pushed north on CR-131 at around 100 mph.
How Deputies Stopped the SUV
Per a post from the Columbia County Sheriff's Office, Deputy Sweat first spotted the Traverse roll through the stop sign. As the SUV sped away, deputies laid down spike strips at the intersection of CR-131 and SW Bedenbaugh Lane, which started to slow the vehicle.
That gave another deputy an opening to pull off a P.I.T. maneuver just south of CR-242A, spinning the Traverse out and bringing it to a stop. When the driver refused repeated commands to get out, Deputy Stephens deployed K-9 Kaiju into the SUV, and the dog helped pull the driver from the vehicle so deputies could move in and make the arrest.
Arrest, Search and Charges
News4JAX reports the driver was identified as 44-year-old Jeffery Allen Steele of Wellborn. Deputies took Steele to an HCA hospital for medical clearance, then booked him into the Columbia County Detention Facility on a $32,000 bond. Deputies searched the Traverse after the stop and seized multiple narcotics and drug paraphernalia, which were cataloged and logged into evidence, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff's Facebook post lists charges including fleeing and eluding, dangerous speeding of 50 mph or more, driving while license suspended or revoked for a third or subsequent offense, obstruction without violence, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and "tag attached not assigned," according to the Columbia County Sheriff's Office.
Legal Implications
Several of those counts carry criminal penalties under Florida law. Fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer is covered in F.S. 316.1935, and dangerous excessive speeding is addressed in F.S. 316.1922, both of which allow for possible jail time and license penalties under state law, per the Florida Statutes and Florida Statutes. Other charges, including driving with a suspended or revoked license and possession-related counts, can be treated as misdemeanors or felonies depending on prior convictions and the substances involved.
Local Context
Columbia County deputies regularly undergo pursuit and tactical training that covers P.I.T. maneuvers and spike-strip use, a preparation that local reporting has highlighted as part of the department’s approach to high-speed enforcement. That background helps explain the tightly choreographed use of spike strips, a P.I.T. and a K-9 in this case, according to The Augusta Press. Neither local coverage nor the sheriff's post reported any injuries to bystanders during the chase or arrest.
