Deputies chase, arrest drunk driver after he fled the scene of a hit-and-run crash

A 21-year-old Palmetto man was arrested and faces a DUI charge when he tried to evade deputies by driving erratically after he was involved in a hit-and-run crash on Tuesday night.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Scott Rapson was driving recklessly on State Road 62 shortly after being involved in a domestic incident involving a hit-and-run crash, where he fled the scene.

Deputies were dispatched around 11 p.m. and found Rapson doing donuts in the roadway. He began to race back and forth past deputies, making it clear he didn’t intend to cooperate, detectives said.

A pursuit ensued and Rapson eventually hit three sets of stop sticks at relatively low speeds, with 30 mph being the average, deputies said.

Deputies said they blocked major intersections and kept traffic in the area to a minimum while the pursuit was ongoing.

Rapson was ultimately stopped after his vehicle came to a rest in a grassy ditch. He gave two breathalyzer samples which read .101 and .104, deputies said.

There were no injuries involved in the hit-and-run or the pursuit.

This story was originally published November 29, 2017 at 3:57 PM with the headline "Deputies chase, arrest drunk driver after he fled the scene of a hit-and-run crash."