Ocala man arrested after I-75 pursuit that temporarily closed two lanes on interstate

Staff report

ALACHUA COUNTY, Fla. – John Todd Reed, 38, of Ocala, was arrested yesterday on I-75 after allegedly fleeing from Sarasota to Alachua County; an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy deployed stop sticks that caused Reed to lose control of his vehicle and crash into a guardrail, closing two lanes of northbound I-75.

At about 12:50 p.m. on February 20, the Sarasota Police Department notified the Florida Highway Patrol that a black Jeep Cherokee had fled their jurisdiction, and troopers initiated a pursuit northbound on I-75 and employed multiple PIT (Precision Immobilization Technique) attempts, all of which were unsuccessful.

Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies took over the pursuit, and one trooper reported that the Jeep passed his patrol car at mile marker 368, traveling at speeds of over 100 mph and weaving in and out of traffic. The trooper reported that the majority of the pursuit took place at high speeds on the shoulders of the roadway.

Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies waited at mile marker 379, and the Jeep’s right front tire hit stop sticks deployed by those deputies. The driver of the Jeep, identified as Reed, lost control of his vehicle and hit a guardrail near mile marker 380.

A trooper ordered Reed out of the vehicle, and he was taken into custody at about 1:30 p.m. and transported to a local hospital for evaluation before being booked into the jail.

A search of the Jeep reportedly produced a rifle, a handgun, ammunition, magazines, and a plate carrier.

Reed’s Alachua County charges are for reckless driving and fleeing with lights and sirens active; there is currently no information available about the original incident that led to the pursuit, and Reed’s criminal history is unavailable because documents are not posted on weekends. Judge James Colaw set bail at $110,000.

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.