PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A high-speed chase on State Road 54 ended with a crash into a utility pole and tree, leaving one teenage passenger dead and another seriously injured.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a trooper spotted a Chevy Traverse traveling eastbound on SR-54 at 74 mph in a 45 mph zone around 3:45 a.m. Saturday.
Investigators said the trooper attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop and accelerated to speeds of 115 mph while fleeing.
East of Old County Road 54, the trooper conducted a PIT maneuver, causing the SUV to rotate onto the south shoulder of the highway. The vehicle then hit a utility pole and a tree.
FHP said both occupants were 15-year-old boys from New Port Richey. Neither was wearing a seat belt, and investigators said alcoholic beverages were found inside the vehicle.
Both teens suffered serious injuries and were transported to a hospital. The passenger later died from injuries suffered in the crash.
Florida memory care facility files for bankruptcy after $1.5M court judgment
A Pasco County memory care facility filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy weeks after a judge ordered it to pay a $1.5 million award to a resident's family in a wrongful death lawsuit.
