An 18-year-old man was arrested over the weekend on a drunk driving charge after he allegedly panicked and led a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy on a high-speed chase in Ocklawaha.
On Sunday, January 21, an MCSO deputy observed a blue SUV that was parked on the side of the road on S Highway 314A in Ocklawaha. The deputy noted in the arrest report that the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Tye Stephen Sullivan, appeared to be sleeping inside the vehicle.
As the deputy approached the SUV, Sullivan turned on the vehicle’s lights and “accelerated at a high rate of speed” northbound on S Highway 314A. The report stated that the vehicle was traveling at around 85 miles per hour in a posted 55-mph zone.
The deputy attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the SUV in the 4900 block of S Highway 314A. The vehicle abruptly braked, conducted a U-turn, and began traveling southbound on S Highway 314A, according to the report.
During the pursuit, the SUV continued traveling at a high rate of speed, and the deputy noted that the vehicle “(failed) to maintain its lane while cornering.” The pursuit continued southbound on S Highway 314A until Sullivan turned onto SE 95th Street Road.
Another deputy successfully deployed spike strips on SE 95th Street Road, which deflated one of the SUV’s front tires. The vehicle continued to flee and turned onto SE 182nd Avenue Road before eventually coming to a stop in the 11500 block, according to the report.
Sullivan surrendered and was taken into custody.
The first deputy who initiated the pursuit arrived on scene and made contact with Sullivan. In the report, the deputy noted that Sullivan had a “flushed face” and “red watery eyes,” and the deputy could also smell a “strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath.”
Sullivan refused to perform field sobriety exercises, and he was placed under arrest and transported to Marion County Jail. While at the facility, he provided breath samples that revealed a blood alcohol content of .128 and .132.
After being read his Miranda rights, Sullivan admitted that he had consumed an unspecified amount of alcohol, and he had stopped on the side of the road to “gather himself.” He further advised that he “panicked” when he saw the deputy, which prompted him to flee from the traffic stop.
Sullivan was released from Marion County Jail after posting a $3,500 bond. He is being charged with fleeing to elude a law enforcement officer and driving under the influence of alcohol.
A court date has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.