WEST PARK, FLA. (WSVN) - Authorities took three people into custody after a high-speed pursuit of a stolen car ended in West Park.
Fort Lauderdale Police units responded to a “be on the lookout” that was posted on Friday of a silver Hyundai Elantra.
The sedan was reportedly stolen from Cape Coral.
Officers spotted the vehicle in Fort Lauderdale through a license plate reader and sent a Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter to follow the vehicle until they were able to arrive to the area.
The pursuit took deputies through the grass and rush hour traffic.
7Skyforce hovered above the Elantra as the driver sped down neighborhoods, and a passenger appeared to throw things out of the window.
After a brief pursuit eastbound near Southwest 25th Street and 38th Avenue, police conducted two PIT maneuvers, resulting in the car slowing down before hitting a tree.
“The vehicle being sideswiped there,” said 7SkyForce’s Ralph Rayburn. “They’ve done that PIT maneuver, second time, it’s gonna hit a tree, run into a tree.”
One male and two females got out of the vehicle with their hands in the air as police swarmed the area.
Officers took the trio into custody after they cleared the vehicle.
Area resident Carolyn Allen said she saw the pursuit play out in front of her home.
“Whoever was driving was really driving fast,” she said.
The speeding car gave Allen the scare of a lifetime.
“I got on the other side of my bed, down, because I didn’t know if shooting was gonna start, but it was bad,” she said. “That thing scared me. It’s scary, I stayed here and in my house, and I refused to come out until I saw a lot of police getting out, and then friends start coming in, they were all in my driveway.”
Jorome, who lives down the street, said the danger came too close to his daughters.
“The kids was outside playing. I hear ‘errrrr,’ I run out, and look, that’s what I saw,” he said.
Jorome said the high-speed pursuit went right by his girls as they were riding their bicycles.
“Crazy,” he said.
But ultimately, it was a sight for the family to see, as they watched the three people come out of the car and deputies took them into custody.
“We got somebody getting out of the vehicle on the driver’s side, laying down on the ground there,” said Rayburn. “We got a female getting out of the passenger side, and they’ve got the driver crawling out.”
No injuries were reported.
As of late Friday night, authorities have not identified the subjects.
According to BSO, the three of them will be facing charges of fleeing, eluding law enforcement and grand theft auto.
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