He was not being pursued at the time of the crash, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. He tried to flee again after the crash.

PINELLAS COUNTY – A Holiday man and three others were injured in a traffic crash that happened this morning (Jan. 21) shortly after the man fled from a Pinellas County deputy.

The other driver, Heath Ready, 28, of Clearwater, and his two passengers, 22-year-old Annabelle Gardner and 27-year-old Richard Serrra III, were taken to Mease Countryside Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

King Zig Allah Montanez, 18, was taken to Mease Countryside Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. After he was treated and released, he was taken to the Pinellas County Jail where he was charged with one count each of fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of a crash with injury/ property damage, no valid driver’s license, resisting arrest without violence and driving under the influence.

The crash happened about 1:41 a.m. near the intersection of U.S. 19 N and Tampa Road.

Montanez was driving his mother’s 2017 Hyundai Elantra south on U.S. 19 North near Innisbrook Drive. Deputies say Montanez was driving at a high rate of speed when he passed a deputy on U.S. 19 and swerved into the traffic lane in front of the deputy’s patrol vehicle. The deputy activated his emergency lights and sirens in an attempt to stop the Hyundai but Montanez refused to stop and fled south on U.S. 19.

The deputy did not pursue Montanez and lost sight of the Hyundai.

Montanez continued south towards the intersection of where Ready had stopped his 2016 Fiat 500 in the right southbound lane of U.S. 19 at the Tampa Road intersection. Ready was stopped for the red light when his Fiat was rear-ended by Montanez’s Hyundai.

As deputies were arriving on the scene of the crash, they said they saw Montanez fleeing on foot. Deputies chased him and caught Montanez a short distance from the crash scene.

Deputies said they believe impairment and speed were both factors in the crash.

Pinellas Sheriff | Crime | Arrests | Traffic Crash | U.S. 19 Crash | DUI | Tampabay News

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