A 23-year-old man was arrested after deputies said he drove recklessly through Osceola County at speeds reaching 135 miles per hour before abandoning his vehicle and fleeing on foot.
On Monday, July 6, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office STAR Unit reportedly spotted a vehicle weaving through traffic at excessive speeds along U.S. 192. The driver was later identified as Stone Ivia Mwaki, according to the agency.
The vehicle turned south onto Poinciana Boulevard before entering a residential neighborhood. The driver, Mwaki, then allegedly ignored multiple stop signs and ran a red light, which the sheriff’s office stated put residents and other motorists at risk.
A deputy assigned to the agency’s DUI Unit attempted a traffic stop, but Mwaki allegedly refused to pull over. As a result, deputies discontinued the ground pursuit to reduce the risk to the public while an OCSO helicopter tracked the vehicle from the sky.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies on the ground successfully deployed spike strips on Poinciana Boulevard, disabling the vehicle. Mwaki then allegedly continued driving onto Southport Road before stopping at a shopping plaza and attempting to flee on foot.
Deputies quickly made contact with Mwaki and took him into custody without further incident.
Mwaki was placed under arrest, booked into Osceola County Jail, and charged with the following: fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, super speeding, driving while license suspended, possession of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting an officer without violence.
“The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office reminds motorists that reckless driving endangers everyone on the road,” said the agency in a social media post.