A night of reckless driving in Hernando County, Florida ended with two patrol cars damaged, a civilian vehicle struck, and one driver in handcuffs facing a long list of charges. The whole thing kicked off on July 26 in the Weeki Wachee area, and by the time it wrapped up, it read less like a routine traffic stop and more like a demolition derby with a K-9 unit caught in the middle.
According to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called out after reports of a reckless driver who had already crashed into a fence and taken off before anyone could catch up. That alone would be enough for most people’s Tuesday night, but this story was just getting started. Deputies eventually located the vehicle and tried to pull the driver over, and for a moment it looked like it might end quietly.
It didn’t. The driver, identified as 31-year-old Brandon Beharrylal, initially stopped, then threw the car into reverse and backed directly into a K-9 deputy’s marked patrol vehicle. From there he sped off through a parking lot, struck a second patrol car, and then collided with a civilian vehicle before deputies finally got him stopped for good. It’s the kind of sequence that sounds exaggerated in a police report, except this one is backed up by actual damaged bumpers.
The good news, and there’s real good news here, is that everyone walked away. The deputies involved were not hurt, the K-9 riding in the patrol vehicle was unharmed, and the driver and passenger of the civilian car were treated for what were described as minor injuries. Given how many vehicles ended up in this pileup, that’s about as good an outcome as anyone could hope for.
What Led to the Arrest
Once deputies got Beharrylal out of the car, signs of impairment were apparent. He declined to perform field sobriety exercises and reportedly told deputies he’d been drinking and believed he was over the legal limit.
That admission, combined with everything that happened on the way to that parking lot, added up to a serious charge sheet.
The Charges Stack Up
Beharrylal was booked on DUI with refusal to submit, two counts of DUI property damage, leaving the scene of a crash, damage to public property, fleeing to elude, criminal mischief, and possession of marijuana.
That’s not a speeding ticket pile, that’s a full afternoon in front of a judge.
Our Take
Ramming a K-9 unit’s patrol car while trying to escape is about as bold a move as you can make in front of law enforcement, and it’s hard to imagine how that decision seemed like a good idea at the time. Cars can be replaced, bumpers can be hammered out, but it only takes one of these chain-reaction crashes to end a lot worse than this one did.
Credit where it’s due to the deputies and FWC officers who got everyone stopped safely, and to the neighbors who picked up the phone before things got even messier.