Man arrested after stealing driver’s car and late-night chase, Manatee deputies say
A man was arrested Thursday after punching a private taxi service driver, stealing his vehicle and crashing into light poles during a late-night chase along Manatee Avenue, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said.
Around 12:18 a.m., 26-year-old Leo Paul Gradley punched the driver in the 3500 block of 1st Street West after refusing to pay in advance for a ride from Bradenton to Tampa, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
Detectives say Gradley knocked the driver to the ground and stole his SUV, which was spotted driving eastbound on Manatee Avenue West within minutes of the report.
When detectives began pursuing Gradley, they say he switched directions and began heading west toward Anna Maria Island, where he then struck a deputy’s patrol vehicle.
A sheriff’s office helicopter began following the stolen vehicle as it left the island and watched as the SUV nearly collided with oncoming traffic, according to the release.
Detectives say Gradley continued to drive erratically to the 6700 block of Manatee Ave. W, where he drove the SUV directly into a light pole, knocking the pole into the road.
Late-night chase in Bradenton
In video footage captured by the helicopter, the vehicle swerves from one side of the road to the other before sideswiping one pole and then crashing directly into the next one. After the crash, sparks began to fly from the front of the SUV, but Gradley continued trying to outrun deputies, the sheriff’s office said.
The SUV also drives into oncoming traffic, forcing cars onto the shoulder of the road to avoid a head-on collision.
The sheriff’s office says Gradley then continued east, knocking down another light pole in the process before coming to a stop in a ditch, at which point multiple detectives surrounded the stolen vehicle.
Gradley was transported to HCA Florida Blake Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries before being arrested for battery, motor vehicle theft, accident involving a vehicle and aggravated fleeing with damage, according to a release.
The sheriff’s office said the chase covered around 20 miles with “minimal traffic” for the majority of the pursuit.
They reported no injuries to any sheriff’s office personnel.
This story was originally published December 21, 2023 at 1:40 PM.
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to clarify that the driver works for a private taxi service.
