A bystander’s truck helped a Florida Highway Patrol trooper catch a driver who fled on foot after a crash in Pinellas Park. WFLA reported that the trooper, driving an unmarked patrol vehicle, clocked a car at 92 mph on U.S. 19. After the car hit a concrete barrier and guardrail near the State Road 690 exit, its driver ran from the vehicle; a passing motorist then gave the trooper a ride in a truck as he pursued the driver.
The man was identified as 23-year-old Dalawn Damon Washington of St. Petersburg. WFLA reported he was arrested in Pinellas Park at 11:40 a.m. and faces charges including fleeing to elude, reckless driving, driving without a valid license and leaving a crash involving property damage. The report also said he had an active county warrant for failure to appear. These are reported allegations, not findings of guilt.
What the pursuit policies establish—and what they do not
FHP’s Policy 17.05 says pursuits should be terminated as soon as practical, including without apprehending the fleeing person. The policy provides context for evaluating a pursuit, but it does not establish whether this incident complied: the public account does not answer whether the pursuit was considered ongoing after the crash or describe any agency review. A separate FHP policy says troop or district commanders may authorize unmarked vehicles for patrol and specialized enforcement; that policy does not establish whether this trooper’s vehicle was authorized.
The distinction also matters when describing the charge. Florida Statute 316.1935 includes a high-speed fleeing provision with requirements involving an authorized, marked patrol vehicle and activated lights and siren. Although WFLA reported a fleeing-to-elude charge, its account describes the trooper’s vehicle as unmarked and does not identify the specific statutory subsection charged or establish all the relevant conditions. The available account therefore does not show how that particular provision applies.
National pursuit-crash data offers scale, not a local trend
The risks behind pursuit policies extend beyond any one arrest. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reported an average of 355 people killed annually in pursuit-related crashes from 1996 through 2015. That historical national figure does not describe the Pinellas Park crash, establish its cause or show a trend in Pinellas County.
