MELBOURNE, Fla. – Melbourne police took a driver into custody Thursday morning after a chase that stretched from Indian River County, north to Palm Bay and downtown Melbourne at speeds of up to 100 mph.
The late model white Mustang had been reported stolen Wednesday night out of Rockledge and the driver has been identified as Jonathan Davis, 24, of Cocoa.
"We believe he was under the influence of drugs. We found methamphetamine in the car along with cash. We had to use the Taser to subdue him. He's at Holmes Regional Medical Center," said Cmdr. Dan Lynch of the Melbourne Police Department. "He was still trying to escape. We used the Taser and pulled him out. He says he was sore from the crash and the Taser," Lynch said.
The Brevard County sheriff’s helicopter also assisted as patrol officers on the ground attempted to carry out a traffic stop. The Mustang was struck by another patrol car near Sarno Road in Melbourne, with officers blocking a portion of northbound U.S. 1, police report. All lanes were clear and traffic was moving again at 11 a.m.
"He was not going to get out of the car, didn't look very peaceful at all," said witness Dave Gray.
Gray says he was on his way to work when Davis nearly ran him off the road.
"I punched the gas as hard as I could," said Gray. "It looked like he was in that Grand Theft Auto video game. He was like purposely aiming toward things."
Another witness to share the road with Davis, Ann Barbera is being credited by police for being the first person to call 911.
"I'm still shaking. It was like something you saw out of the movies," said Barber. "He would pause and then just gun it up so fast into oncoming traffic until there was a car right in front of him and then he would zip back over into the opposite lane."
The stolen Mustang had actually been spotted late Wednesday in Melbourne but officers did not carry out a pursuit. The vehicle was seen again in Sebastian about 8 a.m. Thursday and fled into Brevard.
The chase began in Brevard after the vehicle was seen travelling up to 100 mph on U.S.1 in Palm Bay. Police reported that the vehicle then led officers into Melbourne and at one point came up to railroad tracks that run parallel to U.S. 1. Officers also deployed stop sticks to rip through the tires. An investigation is ongoing.
A Melbourne police officer was also injured after his patrol car ran over stop sticks, and then spun out of control.
Officer Joseph O'Barr was taken to Holmes Regional Medical Center for treatment but was in good condition, authorities said