The man fled on foot after the crash, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said.

GULFPORT – A Plant City man was arrested early this morning (Nov. 1) after he crashed into a marked Gulfport patrol car, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

Gulfport police Officer Justin Guillory and Rodney A. Foster were both taken to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with non-life-threatening injuries.

Guillory was released from Bayfront Hospital after a medical evaluation.

Foster was released from Bayfront Medical Hospital after a medical evaluation and taken to the Pinellas County Jail. Foster , 36, of Plant City, was charged and cited with aggravated fleeing and eluding, reckless driving, habitual driving while license suspended, and leaving the scene of a traffic crash with property damage.

The crash happened about 1:03 a.m.near the intersection of 56th Street S and Gulfport Boulevard in Gulfport.

A Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputy had tried to stop a dark-colored Chevrolet Malibu on Pinellas Bayway South for speeding at about 12:52 a.m. The car fled eastbound from the traffic stop towards St. Petersburg. The sheriff’s flight unit was asked to help find the car.  The deputy did not pursue the car and returned to normal operation.

Shortly after, the Flight Unit spotted the car heading north at 54th Avenue N and 34th Street. Members of the sheriff’s violent crimes task force helped in locating the car.

A VCTF member found the car and tried to stop it, but, for a second time, the car fled at a high rate of speed, deputies said. Deputies did not pursue the car.

The car was seen again near the intersection of 8th Avenue S and 49th Street by a St. Petersburg police officer.

At about 1:03 a.m., Guillory was on routine patrol in his 2017 Dodge Charger, a marked Gulfport police vehicle. Guillory made a U-turn on 56th Street S heading southbound toward
Gulfport Boulevard. As Guillory passed an alleyway just north of Gulfport Boulevard S, the passenger side of his patrol car was struck by the front passenger side of the suspect car
as it turned north on 56th Street S from the alleyway.

The impact of the crash caused Guillory’s Dodge to swerve and hit a 2016 Dodge Journey that was parked along the east side of 56th Street S. Guillory’s patrol car and the Dodge Journey
sustained heavy front end damage, deputies said.

The driver of the suspect vehicle, whom deputies identified as Foster, got out of his car and fled the scene of the crash on foot. Members of VCTF were able to find the driver and arrest him.

For information about the Pinellas sheriff, go to pcsoweb.com.

Pinellas Sheriff | Gulfport Police | Crime | Traffic Crash | Arrests | Tampabay News

#PinellasSheriff  #GulfportPolice #Crime #TrafficCrash #Arrests #TampabayNews