Deputies released dashboard video Tuesday that showed a suspect in a stolen U-Haul van speeding through residential streets and dirt roads before crashing the vehicle. Several law enforcement agencies had tracked the suspect as he led officers on the high-speed, two-county police chase last week.
“A Fellsmere Police Department officer successfully deployed stop sticks deflating two of the vehicle tires,” said Sgt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. “The (driver) continued to flee, striking a sign and tree branch which caused minor damage to a sheriff’s patrol car. ”
No injuries were reported after the crash, Jaworski said.
Eric Danelle Kelly, 50, of Cocoa, was charged with reckless driving, driving while license revoked, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage and fleeing and eluding. Kelly was held Tuesday at the Indian River County Jail on a $61,000 bond.
A man in the front-passenger seat was released from the scene the day of the incident, Jaworski said.
The 3-minute dashboard camera footage shows deputies and Fellsmere police chasing the U-Haul.
Jaworski said that Brevard County Sheriff’s officials notified the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office about 4 p.m. Thursday that they were tracking a stolen U-Haul van. The driver, later identified as Kelly, traveled south on Babcock Street Southeast and headed to the Fellsmere area.
Indian River deputies and Fellsmere police began following the U-Haul, which Jaworski said reached speeds up to 80 mph. Kelly ran over the stop sticks and eventually crashed the vehicle near South Willow Street and 89th Street.
“(The driver) failed to navigate a turn with its deflated tires,” Jaworski said.
Deputies conducted a high-risk traffic stop to remove Kelly and the man from the vehicle.
Kelly was arrested and booked into the county jail. Details on Kelly’s arraignment were not immediately available.
The Indian River chase comes nearly a week after Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Fink, 26, was killed attempting to pull over a reckless driver on Interstate 95 in St. Lucie County. An unidentified truck driver was also killed in the collision.
“As we’ve seen with the recent tragic death of Trooper Fink, pursuits are always dangerous to both law enforcement and the public. In this case, our team was in lock step with our partners at Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and Fellsmere police to bring an end to this fleeing felon’s multi-county run,” Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers said. “It’s clear the training and practice we’ve implemented is working as we’ve had a number of pursuits in recent weeks that have all ended with the successful apprehension of felons.”
