A 41-year-old Ocala man with a suspended license was arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after he led a deputy on a high-speed chase and crashed through multiple gates.
On Tuesday, an MCSO deputy was conducting traffic enforcement near the intersection of SE 92nd Terrace and SE 162nd Place when a Nissan SUV was observed traveling eastbound on SE 162nd Place at a high rate of speed. The deputy noted in the MCSO report that the vehicle then turned southbound on SE 94th Terrace without stopping at the intersection.
Another MCSO deputy drove behind the SUV as it turned southbound onto SE 94th Terrace, and the deputy activated the patrol car’s emergency lights and siren. The driver of the SUV – later identified as Michael John Iturrey – refused to stop, and he continued heading westbound on SE Highway 42 at speeds that exceeded 100 miles per hour, according to the MCSO report.
During the pursuit, Iturrey turned southbound onto SE 19th Court and traveled at speeds exceeding 90 mph. When Iturrey reached SE 175th Street, he began traveling eastbound due to it being a “no outlet” road, and he proceeded to “drive in circles around random people’s properties,” according to the MCSO report.
When Iturrey located the main road of SE 175th Street, he headed westbound in the SUV and then turned northbound onto SE Highway 475. The MCSO report stated that Iturrey then turned onto a driveway located in the 17200 block of SE Highway 475, and he proceeded to drive through an electric gate, two cattle gates, and a Florida Department of Transportation fence.
The MCSO report stated that Iturrey continued to Interstate 75 and began traveling northbound at speeds exceeding 120 mph. The pursuit came to an end when he crashed his SUV into another FDOT fence in the 15700 block of SW 20th Avenue Road.
Iturrey was detained by the deputy. According to the MCSO report, a computer search of Iturrey revealed that his driver’s license was suspended indefinitely in June of 2022. He also has one prior guilty conviction in Marion County in 2021 for driving with a suspended license.
The MCSO report stated that the damages to the electric gate and cattle gates are estimated at approximately $13,000.
Iturrey was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $17,500 bond. He is facing felony charges for criminal mischief with property damage ($1,000 or more) and fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer with disregard of safety to persons or property. In addition, he is facing misdemeanor charges for driving with a suspended or revoked license and criminal mischief with property damage to a fence.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.