Newly released dashcam and body-worn camera footage shows a wild Sunday high-speed chase sprinting across Flagler and Volusia counties before ending in a flurry of PIT maneuvers. The pursuit kicked off after a woman with visible cuts, bruises and a black eye asked a clerk at a Palm Coast Circle K to call 911, then locked herself in a bathroom. Deputies later identified the suspect as 24-year-old Korarise Hill, who was taken into custody when the car finally stopped near Tomoka Farms Road and Pioneer Drive in New Smyrna Beach.
What the video shows
The footage, as reported by News4JAX, starts with deputies walking up to a silver Chevrolet at the Circle K. Before they can get far, the driver punches it, blasts through a red light and clips another vehicle. From there, the chase jumps to I-95 south, where the car hits speeds over 120 mph and the Florida Highway Patrol takes the lead in the pursuit.
According to the sheriff’s office, the victim told deputies that Hill had repeatedly struck her, pointed a handgun at her head and strangled her until she lost consciousness. Those allegations are what turned a dangerous traffic situation into a serious violent-crime case in the eyes of law enforcement.
PIT maneuvers and arrest
Florida Highway Patrol troopers ultimately used multiple PIT maneuvers to stop the silver Chevrolet near the Tomoka Farms Road and Pioneer Drive intersection, where deputies moved in and arrested Hill, according to the sheriff’s account. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office vehicle-apprehension policy allows trained deputies to use the precision immobilization technique and tire-deflation devices when a driver is considered an immediate danger, which is the rationale officials pointed to in this case.
County records list Hill in the Flagler inmate database, showing prior bookings under his name going back several years.
Charges and past record
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office charged Hill with domestic battery, false imprisonment, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, and fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement with disregard for the safety of persons or property, according to News4JAX. The Florida Highway Patrol and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office also filed additional charges tied to alleged aggravated domestic violence in their jurisdictions.
Hill was booked into the Volusia County branch jail and is being held without bond. “He displayed complete disregard for anyone around him when he dangerously tried to flee across two counties,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement.
Why it matters
High-speed, multi-jurisdiction pursuits can turn lethal for bystanders in a matter of seconds, which is why supervisors are required to constantly balance the need to catch a suspect against the risk to everyone else on the road. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office instructs supervisors to factor in time of day, traffic volume and road conditions before authorizing or continuing a pursuit and limits who can initiate or approve pursuit tactics. The idea is to stop violent offenders while keeping collateral damage as low as possible.
Legal outlook
Investigators in Flagler, Volusia and Seminole counties are expected to coordinate on charging decisions and on how to use the dash and body camera footage in court. Hill currently faces the Flagler County charges, while potential aggravated domestic-violence counts in other jurisdictions could lead to additional filings as prosecutors sort through the evidence.
