Putnam County, FL – Deputies stopped a high-speed driver in Putnam County after a PIT maneuver brought a dangerous chase to an end Friday evening, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said Coy Alvarez, 51, was taken into custody after allegedly speeding at 71 mph in a 30 mph zone on Westover Road and forcing another vehicle off the road. The chase began after Alvarez allegedly threatened to crash into a building near the Westgate Shopping Center, deputies reported.
According to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Higginbotham attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Alvarez allegedly sped away while making an obscene gesture from his window. Deputies said he crossed the center line multiple times before Sgt. Higginbotham used a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle.
A search of Alvarez’s vehicle reportedly uncovered syringes, tin foil, a plastic spoon, and a powdery substance consistent with drug use. Deputies charged Alvarez with fleeing and eluding without regard to safety, resisting law enforcement without violence, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The sheriff’s office added that it is working with the state attorney’s office on a potential super speeder charge under Florida’s new traffic statute. Alvarez was booked into the Putnam County Jail and is being held on $16,000 bond.
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