A Florida Highway Patrol traffic stop near SeaWorld turned into a lengthy chase Monday night after troopers spotted a driver they say was behind the wheel recklessly on International Drive. By the time it ended, investigators say they had recovered dozens of stolen credit cards, a card printer, an eraser device, and $3,200 in cash from the suspect's vehicle.
Florida Highway Patrol troopers say 38-year-old Tyrell Jack fled from them after they attempted to pull him over, leading to speeds exceeding 115 mph, according to WKMG. The chase carried Jack down a wrong-way stretch of International Drive and onto an on-ramp he also drove the wrong way down, before he continued onto I-4 near State Road 528, where he drove recklessly through that stretch as well.
Chase Ends Near SeaWorld and Aquatica Entrances
Troopers eventually stopped the vehicle near Sea Harbor Drive, located between the entrances to SeaWorld and Aquatica, the station's report notes. During the pursuit, Jack hit concrete barriers on a State Road 528 exit ramp but kept driving afterward, and troopers attempted multiple Precision Immobilization Technique maneuvers before finally stopping him. Florida Highway Patrol reported no injuries to troopers or bystanders, and Jack was checked out at a hospital before being booked into the Orange County jail.
The entire pursuit was recorded by Florida Highway Patrol, and News 6 has requested the footage. An FHP spokesperson said no one was available Tuesday afternoon for an interview regarding the incident, adding only that the case remains an active criminal investigation.
Dozens of Stolen Cards, Printer and Eraser Found in Car
Florida Highway Patrol says Jack now faces 42 charges tied to an alleged fraud scheme, after investigators found dozens of stolen cards along with a printer and an eraser device in his car. Under Florida Statute 817.625, possessing or delivering credit card re-encoding or skimming equipment is a third-degree felony carrying up to five years in prison per count, according to Leppard Law. Separately, Florida Statute 817.568 allows prosecutors to treat fraudulent possession of identifying information belonging to five or more people as a felony, with each victim's compromised card charged as a distinct count, per the Online Sunshine statute text — a structure that helps explain how dozens of recovered cards translate into 42 felony counts.
Jack's criminal history extends well beyond Monday night. Records from the Florida Department of Corrections show he was found guilty of resisting an officer with violence in 2008, and he has been in and out of prison for more than 15 years, with his longest stint lasting more than three years. WKMG reports he has lengthy criminal records and traffic violations across three Central Florida counties.
What Fleeing and Eluding Charges Could Mean for Jack
Fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement while driving recklessly with lights and sirens activated is a second-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, and mandatory license revocation, according to the Law Offices of Jack Kaleita. Courts are statutorily barred from withholding an adjudication of guilt for fleeing and eluding convictions. Adding to Jack's exposure, an updated state law that took effect October 1, 2025, known as CS/CS/HB 113, established a 1.5-multiplier for sentencing points against repeat fleeing offenders and tightened standards around eluding marked police vehicles, per the Sammis Law Firm.
The aggressive tactics troopers used to end the chase, including the PIT maneuvers, reflect a pursuit policy Florida Highway Patrol revised in December 2023 that gives troopers expanded discretion to initiate high-speed chases and even drive against traffic for non-violent offenses and reckless driving, as reported by Axios Tampa Bay. FHP emergency pursuit guidelines list ending a chase as quickly as practical, including through PIT maneuvers or intentional vehicle contact, as a primary operational objective.
Residents Worry as Traffic Along I-4 Corridor Grows Riskier
Dulce Tejeda, who visits the area regularly with her young children, told WKMG that I-4 keeps getting crazier and that tourist areas are becoming more dangerous. She said she is cautious at night because of traffic and drinking in the area. Her concerns track with countywide numbers: Orange County recorded 25,270 motor vehicle collisions in 2025, resulting in 18,967 injuries and 168 fatalities, with major tourist arteries like International Drive carrying elevated crash risk, according to data cited by HOV Law.
Statewide research offers some reassurance about pursuit outcomes generally. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement study found that 99% of police vehicular pursuits ended without injury to officers or bystanders, while 35% ended when the suspect voluntarily stopped. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2007 ruling in Scott v. Harris established that officers do not violate Fourth Amendment rights when using vehicular force to end a high-speed chase that threatens public safety, a precedent the FDLE cites as underpinning tactics like the PIT maneuvers troopers used near Sea Harbor Drive.
Aggressive FHP pursuit tactics have drawn scrutiny elsewhere in the state. Following a fatal November 2025 pursuit involving FHP in Tampa, the Tampa Police Department updated its own policy in May 2026 to bar local officers from requesting outside agencies run pursuits that would not be permitted under Tampa's own guidelines, according to Police1. For now, the case against Jack remains active, with Florida Highway Patrol confirming only that its investigation is ongoing.
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