LAKELAND, Fla. — What began as a routine traffic stop quickly escalated into a high-speed chase, a six-vehicle crash, and a major drug trafficking arrest Thursday afternoon in Lakeland, according to Sergeant Steve Gaskins, Public Affairs Officer for the Florida Highway Patrol.
Gaskins said the incident began at approximately 2:26 p.m. on January 16, 2026, when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper stopped a 35-year-old Tampa man for traveling 61 miles per hour in a posted 45 mph zone.
According to Gaskins, the driver initially stopped but fled as the trooper exited his patrol vehicle. The suspect accelerated to speeds exceeding 100 mph, leading troopers through Lakeland before crashing into six vehicles at the intersection of County Road 540A and Carter Road.
Gaskins said deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office assisted in taking the suspect into custody following the crash.
After being detained, the suspect told troopers he was “going back to jail for a long time,” admitting there were drugs inside the vehicle, Gaskins said.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered trafficking-level quantities of narcotics, including 52.6 grams of cocaine, 135.2 grams of cannabis, and 20.2 grams of fentanyl, according to Gaskins.
No serious injuries were reported as a result of the crash. The investigation remains ongoing.
