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By Mark Price
The Charlotte Observer
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. — A biker sporting a “WILL RUN” license plate hit speeds of 145 mph as he taunted deputies to chase him, according to Florida investigators.
This included repeatedly circling patrol cars at multiple points during the pursuit, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office noted in an incident report.
And the motorcyclist did this while wearing a GoPro camera strapped to his helmet, officials said.
By the time the chase ended, the suspect was being pursued by police departments in Port Orange, New Smyrna, Ormond Beach, Edgewater and South Daytona, the sheriff’s office says.
A sheriff’s department helicopter ultimately led to the capture of the driver, who was identified as a 19-year-old man from New Smyrna Beach, the sheriff’s office said.
The chase happened Tuesday, March 12, and began around 6:45 p.m. when a deputy spotted motorcyclists riding on their back wheels in Port Orange, the incident report states. Port Orange is about a 60-mile drive northeast from Orlando.
Attempts to stop the two bikers resulted in them “taunting” deputies by “riding circles within the intersection,” officials said.
One was caught while stopped at an intersection, while the other fled “in a reckless manner” that included speeding in excess of 145 mph, running multiple traffic lights and weaving in and out of traffic, video shows.
The suspect finally stopped around 8 p.m., after being relentlessly chased on the ground and in the air for nearly 90 minutes.
When asked why he didn’t stop earlier, the biker said he was “scared,” officials said.
As for the ”WILL RUN” license plate, it was a fake purchased off Amazon.com, a deputy discovered.
Felony charges filed against the driver include “fleeing at high speed, reckless driving, and possession of a counterfeit license plate, in addition to traffic violations,” the sheriff’s office said.
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