POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A Lakeland man was arrested early Friday morning after leading Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) troopers on a pursuit along Interstate 4 that ended in a rollover crash and vehicle fire, FHP said.
Trooper Derek Platt was traveling eastbound on I-4 near mile marker 9 around 2:35 a.m. when he spotted a Subaru Ascent traveling 77 mph in a posted 55 mph zone and swerving across the roadway, according to a news release.
When Platt attempted a traffic stop, FHP said the driver fled, initiating a pursuit into Polk County. Trooper Darrelle Jacobs joined to assist.
The chase ended near mile marker 35 when Jacobs performed a PIT maneuver, causing the SUV to leave the roadway, travel onto the grass shoulder and overturn, per the release. Troopers said the Subaru later became engulfed in flames.
EMS and fire rescue crews responded to the scene. FHP said the driver, identified as 38-year-old Robert Dewayne Alderman of Lakeland, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken into custody and transported to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, FHP said.
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