INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A 32-year-old man who drove off from a traffic stop near a middle school and crashed into another vehicle, was jailed Monday, deputies said.
The incident caused Storm Grove Middle School to be placed on Code Yellow for about an hour and 45 minutes, School District of Indian River County spokeswoman Cristen Maddux said. Code Yellow is not a lockdown, but instead a precautionary measure alerting schools of incidents happening nearby.
John Anton Brown Jr.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Deputies arrested John Anton Brown Jr., of the 3700 block of 47th Street, Vero Beach. Brown was held Monday at the Indian River County Jail without bond.
Brown was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with injury, fleeing and eluding, failure to register motor vehicle, reckless driving and knowingly driving while license revoked, jail records show. Brown was also charged with false imprisonment and battery, which stem from a past incident that occurred in Fellsmere.
An Indian River County sheriff’s patrol deputy conducted a traffic stop on Brown’s vehicle Monday afternoon near 57th Street and 66th Avenue, sheriff’s officials said. The area is near Storm Grove Middle School and the School District of Indian River County headquarters.
Deputies said Brown sped off in his automobile and crashed into another vehicle carrying an elderly couple. The couple suffered minor injuries, sheriff’s officials said.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Brown ran from his vehicle and was detained soon after by a sheriff’s K-9 unit, authorities said. Brown was taken to Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital for treatment and then booked into the county jail.
The crash closed 66th Avenue, but the street has since reopened, officials said.
