FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – A Central Florida man was taken into custody after a very slow chase early Friday morning, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
In a release, investigators said the incident happened around 2:23 a.m., when a deputy noticed a blue motorcycle with no lights or license plate.
“Well... she didn’t exactly spot it first,” the release reads. “She heard its unmuffled backfiring well before she saw it.”
According to the sheriff’s office, it was a “rusty parts bike with what sounded like a weed-eater motor attached,” which deputies jokingly dubbed “Blowby Betty.”
Deputies tried to pull the driver over, but he instead tried to drive away — very slowly, according to dash-camera footage released by the sheriff’s office.
“Let’s be clear, what followed was NOT a pursuit. A pursuit implies speed,” the release continues. “This was more of a guided neighborhood tour, topping out at a brisk 40mph before settling into a relaxed 15mph through Hidden Trails Park as his sputtering steed begged for mercy.”
Eventually, the driver — identified as Brian Swartz, 33, of Bunnell — toppled over, pinning Swartz’s shin to the ground, deputies added.
He was subsequently arrested and now faces charges of fleeing and operating without a driver’s license. Following his arrest, he was released on bail of $2,800, jail records show.
“Blowby Betty was seized and towed to impound, where she can finally get some rest,” the sheriff’s office announced. “The takeaway: fleeing from law enforcement is a dangerous, deadly and terrible idea at any speed. Don’t attempt the impossible, especially on a motorcycle that can be outrun by a brisk jog.”
Deputies also said that Swartz has been arrested 16 times since 2016 over charges including street racing, credit card fraud, failure to register a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude law enforcement, grand theft of a motor vehicle, and more.
He’s also reportedly served several sentences in state prison.
“The list of things this guy has been arrested for goes on longer than a CVS receipt,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Sadly, it seems the Green Roof Inn has become a second home for him.”