CITRUS COUNTY, Florida—A 41-year-old Mount Dora man is dead after fleeing a traffic stop, striking stop sticks and crashing into a concrete wall early Saturday morning, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Mount Dora man was driving a Jeep Cherokee westbound on State Road 44 near Colonade Street when he sped away from a traffic stop by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) around 1:30 a.m. Saturday, FHP Sgt. Steve Gaskins said in a press release.
CCSO deputies deployed stop sticks around County Road 491, the Cherokee struck the stop sticks, continued fleeing, crossed a median and collided with a light post. The Cherokee then struck a concrete sign at the Crystal Oaks subdivision and caught fire. The driver, who was not identified by FHP, died at the scene, Gaskins said. He was not wearing a seatbelt.
