Florida trooper dashcam video footage shows high-speed chase in Palmetto
Dash camera footage from a high-speed chase over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge shows Florida Highway Patrol Troopers tracking a speeding driver in Palmetto.
Troopers say they tried to stop a blue 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan rental SUV on the southbound Sunshine Skyway Bridge around 7:35 a.m. Tuesday, but the driver did not stop and instead led them onto U.S. 19 and U.S. 41.
The chase ended near 21st Street East in Palmetto, where a trooper used a PIT maneuver to stop the SUV, according to FHP.
The footage appears to show the SUV weaving through traffic at high speed. At one point, the SUV squeezes past a traffic cone while making a left turn and narrowly avoids colliding with a large truck.
The video then appears to show the SUV spinning to a stop before the driver jumps out and runs away. A trooper can be seen immediately getting out of the patrol vehicle and chasing after the driver on foot.
According to an FHP incident report, the SUV repeatedly crossed onto the shoulder and bypassed traffic during the pursuit. The driver then ran north through yards in a nearby neighborhood and was not found after troopers and deputies searched the area with K-9 units and drones, the agency said.
Investigators recovered an iPhone from the SUV, which was later determined to be a vehicle rented by a Sarasota County woman. Troopers had not identified or located the driver as of Tuesday afternoon.
