HILLSBOORUGH COUNTY, FLA. — Two Zephyrhills teenagers were jailed after causing four hit-and run crashes in Hillsborough County on Wednesday while fleeing from law enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Braden Wallace, 17, and Jeffrey Bettis, 16, were arrested by troopers, with aid from the Tampa Police Department (TPD) and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
TPD was conducting traffic enforcement on Interstate 275, southbound near Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard, at about 8:30 a.m., when a white Kia Soul crashed into stopped traffic ahead and then fled the scene.
A TPD officer conducted a traffic stop on the Kia and observed Wallace and Bettis wearing masks, an FHP report stated.
But the vehicle fled and caused four hit and run crashes on I-275 ant Armenia Avenue after fleeing from TPD.
The vehicle became disabled from the multiple crashes and the driver and passenger fled on foot.
TPD and HCSO assisted with a foot track and located both suspects.
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