A 41-year-old man accused of carjacking a woman near Destination Daytona and leading law enforcement on a chase that topped 137 mph is being held without bond in the Volusia County Jail. Scott Taylor was ordered held without bond on Friday, according to authorities, after a pursuit that stretched from Interstate 95 near Jacksonville into Ormond Beach and ended in a crash and foot chase near a Walmart on State Road 44.
The chase began before Taylor ever reached Volusia County. According to WKMG, investigators say Taylor fled from the Florida Highway Patrol on I-95 out of Jacksonville before exiting into Ormond Beach. As reported by FOX 35 Orlando, authorities say Taylor forced a woman out of her car near Destination Daytona, stealing her vehicle before continuing his flight from law enforcement.
A Failed Carjacking Attempt Along the Way
Before Taylor successfully took the woman's car, he apparently tried and failed to steal another vehicle in Ormond Beach. Per the Ormond Beach Observer, that unsuccessful attempt occurred shortly before the carjacking near Destination Daytona at 1637 N. U.S. Highway 1 around 12:19 p.m.
A truck driver caught up in the chase's final moments told FOX 35 Orlando that Taylor also tried to get into his vehicle after the stolen car clipped a dump truck and lost control. The truck driver said the doors were locked, preventing entry, and that Taylor ran back to the stolen car after failing to get in. According to the truck driver's account, the stolen vehicle had already crossed a median onto the wrong side of the road before it crashed into the front of his truck.
Flock Cameras Helped Deputies Close In
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said automated license plate reader technology, known as Flock cameras, was essential to locating the stolen car as the chase unfolded. Real-time alerts logged the vehicle traveling eastbound along State Road 44, giving deputies the location data they needed to intercept the pursuit, the station's report notes. That same camera network has featured in other Central Florida cases, including a stolen-vehicle recovery Hoodline detailed in its report on a Lake City police lobby chase earlier this month. Those systems are treated as exempt from public records under Florida Statute § 316.0777, even as they remain accessible to law enforcement for real-time hotlist tracking.
The pursuit reached speeds up to 137 mph before the stolen car crashed. Taylor got out of the vehicle after the crash, and officers chased him on foot before arresting him, per the same account. Sheriff Chitwood personally took part in that foot chase and physical restraint on State Road 44 near a Walmart, according to WKMG.
A Full Slate of Felony Charges
Taylor now faces a lengthy list of charges spanning multiple jurisdictions. Beyond fleeing and leaving the scene of a crash, Ormond Beach Police Department records cited by the Ormond Beach Observer show he faces two counts of carjacking, two counts of battery, grand theft of a motor vehicle, burglary of an occupied vehicle, and false imprisonment.
Florida law treats those charges seriously. Fleeing or attempting to elude a marked patrol vehicle with lights and sirens active, at high speed or with wanton disregard for safety, is a second-degree felony carrying up to 15 years in prison under Florida Statute § 316.1935(3)(a). Carjacking without a deadly weapon is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years, while an armed carjacking can carry up to life imprisonment under Florida Statute § 812.133. Florida also strengthened penalties for repeat fleeing offenders under House Bill 113, which took effect October 1, 2025, applying a 1.5-multiplier to sentencing points and imposing stricter requirements for marked patrol vehicles during pursuits.
Family Reacts as Taylor Awaits Court Proceedings
Taylor remained in the Volusia County Jail as of Friday. His wife apologized to the people caught up in the incident and said no one was hurt. She described his behavior during the chase as out of character, calling him a stand-up husband and father.
The Volusia County Sheriff's Office, the Ormond Beach Police Department, and the New Smyrna Beach Police Department all provided information for the case. The stretch of U.S. 1 near Destination Daytona where the carjacking occurred is also the site of a Florida Department of Transportation project advanced in May 2026 to reconstruct the I-95 interchange and widen the highway, part of an effort to ease congestion along the busy corridor connecting the interstate to Ormond Beach.
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