He led deputies on a high-speed chase before crashing stolen car, cops say

A high-speed chase ended in a crash and the arrests of two men Wednesday night.

Barry J. Baer, 20, has been charged with fleeing and eluding law enforcement.

Baer was the driver of a vehicle officials believe to have been stolen, according to Manatee County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Dave Bristow.

The passenger, Alexander G. Turner, 18, was charged with violation of probation.

The chase started at State Road 64 and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard and ended about two miles down Lakewood Ranch Boulevard at 44th Avenue East.

The pursuit ended when Baer attempted to turn left onto 44th Avenue East but failed to navigate the turn and struck a pole, according to Bristow.

Bristow said speeds during the chase reached 85 mph, however, there was no traffic and the roads were clear.

Other charges are pending in the incident. A third person was in the vehicle but is not facing any charges, according to Bristow.

Baer was booked into the Manatee County jail under $7,500 bond, according to jail records. Turner is being held without bond.

Turner has two previous felony convictions for armed robbery stemming from separate incidents in December 2015, according to court records.

This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 3:31 PM with the headline "He led deputies on a high-speed chase before crashing stolen car, cops say."