INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Two men were awaiting court dates after troopers found 282 grams of cocaine in a vehicle following a high-speed, two-county chase on the interstate last month. The troopers also discovered a black Uzi-style gun loaded with plastic pellets and more than $13,000 in cash inside the car.
Keishon Ramail Jones, 26, of Palm Coast, and Jerome Lewis Clark, 26, of Daytona Beach, each were charged with trafficking in cocaine. Clark was also charged with possession of cocaine, driving while license suspended with knowledge, reckless driving and fleeing and eluding a police officer.
Jones, the passenger, was held Friday at the Indian River County Jail on a $100,000 bond, while Clark, the driver, was held at the Brevard County Jail on a $203,000 bond.
The incident unfolded March 7 when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was conducting speed enforcement on northbound Interstate 95. The trooper clocked the driver of a blue Chevrolet Cruze traveling at a high speed, reports show.
As the trooper activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop, the Chevrolet’s driver initially slowed down and pulled onto the shoulder. When the trooper got closer, the Chevrolet’s driver accelerated back onto the interstate, reports show.
Troopers said the Chevrolet reached speeds greater than 110 mph in a 70-mph zone. The pursuit continued north into Brevard County, where troopers said the Chevrolet’s driver weaved in and out of traffic in a reckless manner.
Troopers tried a maneuver to disable the car, but were unsuccessful. The troopers said the car’s front right tire – a spare – blew out, causing the Chevrolet to come to a stop.
Troopers searched the car, found the narcotics in the trunk and arrested the pair.
Jones has an arraignment at 8:45 a.m. May 9, while details on Clark’s arraignment were not immediately available.
