SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. — A Tampa man was arrested after installing lights and a siren on his vehicle, then using it to bypass traffic, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
On Sept. 7, FHP said a trooper was dispatched after several reports of a driver on I-75 southbound in Sumter County activating yellow and white lights with a siren. FHP said the driver reportedly turned on his lights and sirens to force people out of his lane in traffic.
FHP said the trooper pulled the vehicle over and the driver, 50-year-old Anthony Lee Tripp of Tampa, was asked about the siren and lights. Tripp stated he had lights on his car but denied having a siren, according to the arrest report. The trooper then searched the vehicle and found a "siren box" on the floorboard of the Dodge Ram pickup truck. When the trooper switched it to the on position, the siren started blaring immediately, according to the report.
FHP said the driver, a convicted sexual predator, was arrested for false impersonation and the vehicle was seized.
New mental health programs making an impact in Florida
Florida Behavioral Health Association's Scott Burgess shared with Tampa Bay 28 Anchor Wendy Ryan the successes of new initiatives being tested across Florida.
