A routine traffic stop in Lehigh Acres turned into anything but routine on Wednesday night when a driver decided that pulling over for Florida Highway Patrol simply was not on his agenda. Troopers attempted to stop a Hyundai Genesis after clocking it speeding along SR-82 near Sunshine Boulevard, but the driver had other ideas entirely. Instead of doing what most people do when they see flashing lights behind them, the driver chose a more creative exit strategy.
Rather than stopping, the vehicle veered off the road and cruised west along a canal running between Gifford Avenue North and Navajo Avenue. It was a move that might have looked bold in a movie but, in real life, only delays the inevitable. The car eventually stopped, and the driver bailed on foot, heading south and leaving behind one very cooperative passenger who was still sitting in the car.
That passenger ended up being a crucial piece of the puzzle. Troopers detained the individual and were able to get a physical description of the person who had just bolted into the night. At that point, it became a matter of time before the story wrapped up, and it did so fairly quickly. Law enforcement tracked down the registered address of the vehicle and paid a visit…