Georgia man charged with three felonies after high-speed chase on I-75
Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Donovan Benjamin Martin, 33, was arrested yesterday on drug and traffic charges after allegedly fleeing from troopers at over 100 mph on I-75 south of Gainesville.
At about 3:04 p.m. on February 9, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper saw a black Nissan with a Wisconsin tag that failed to move over when passing a disabled vehicle on the shoulder. The trooper initiated a traffic stop, and Martin reportedly pulled over near the 377 mile marker (near Micanopy). The trooper reported that Martin seemed nervous and that he was shaking and sweating; he also reported that he could smell marijuana inside the vehicle, but when he asked Martin whether he had any marijuana, Martin reportedly said he did not. When the trooper asked Martin to get out so a probable cause search could be conducted, Martin allegedly put the vehicle in gear and sped away northbound.
The trooper turned on his lights and sirens and pursued the Nissan at speeds of “well over 100 mph.” The trooper reported that traffic was heavy, and Martin allegedly drove on the shoulder at speeds around 100 mph. The pursuit ended at the 385 mile marker when Martin crashed into the guardrail.
Post Miranda, Martin reportedly declined to answer any questions.
A search of the vehicle reportedly produced a box containing about a pound of marijuana and $2,762 in cash in small denominations, bundled with rubber bands.
Martin, whose listed address is in Georgia, has been charged with fleeing at high speed, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, and reckless driving. He has criminal records in Georgia, Kentucky, and Tennessee between 2014 and 2025 and a non-extraditable warrant out of Kentucky. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $350,000.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.Â
Send him to El Salvador
This guy is a loser. Throw the book at him.
Anyone recognize this pattern of repeated entrapment?
Another stop of an out of state tag DWB on I-75?
Nope, don’t see no pattern here.
You left out the part of disobeying the law pertaining to pulling over for a disabled vehicle. And the part about speeding away from law enforcement. Don’t forget driving on the shoulder to elude law enforcement. Possession of a controlled substance without a prescription with intent to sell same. Lastly, reckless driving.
The only pattern I notice is the disregard for the first law which led to this idiot be pulled over and arrested for all the other laws he chose to break. Call it whatever you like, but the statistics show that one segment of the population is responsible for a disproportionate amount of crimes with respect to the percentage of the population. I know, maybe it’s because this one idiot committed 5 or 6 more criminal acts as a result of not following a simple traffic law. That explains things.
A “non-extraditable warrant” out of Kentucky but he’s still out committing crimes and endangering society.
Somehow I don’t think he cares about anyone’s life but his own.
I have had a blown tire on i75 and the state troopers used my disabled vehicle as a shield to entrap other drivers.
while never checking on me or my car in the ditch.
nobody pulled over..
i guess they only pull over African Americans for failing to move over for a disabled vehicle.
Road Rangers’ number is*347 (FHP).
Hope that helps. I don’t think FHP is equipped to pull vehicles out of ditches. As far as them checking on you, I can neither confirm nor deny but at least you’re alive to tell the story.
On the bright side, just think how being in the ditch and being monitored by FHP may have been beneficial to your health. Citing some who violated the law may alert other drivers to the inherent dangers of not moving over and save lives.
Do you guess a lot????