COLUMBIA COUNTY, Fla. – A high-speed pursuit involving a vehicle previously flagged by Lake City police ended in a rollover crash and multiple drug-related charges Friday evening, according to the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
At about 6:25 p.m. on January 23, 2026, CCSO Deputy Rivera spotted a red Ford pickup truck matching the description of a vehicle that had earlier fled from the Lake City Police Department. The truck was seen leaving the Wendy’s parking lot and traveling south on State Road 47 toward Columbia City.
Deputy Rivera observed the vehicle had a blown headlight and an expired license plate, prompting an attempted traffic stop using emergency lights and sirens. The driver, later identified as 48-year-old Samuel Elias Watson, instead accelerated and fled aggressively, driving into oncoming traffic and reaching speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour…