A carjacking suspect’s escape through Volusia County reached an estimated 137 mph before he drove into oncoming traffic, crashed, and took off on foot.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Scott Taylor, 41, of Connecticut, in an account of the pursuit released Thursday.
The Aug. 20 incident unfolded after Taylor fled from the Florida Highway Patrol and entered Volusia County on Interstate 95. VSO said Taylor later carjacked a woman in Ormond Beach before deputies encountered the stolen vehicle on State Road 44.
Getting from I-95 to that encounter involved another attempted carjacking and a stolen vehicle that did not stay lost for long.
The Stolen Car Turns Up on SR 44
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Taylor had already taken off from FHP when he entered Volusia County southbound on I-95, according to VSO.
The sheriff’s initial account said Taylor attempted one carjacking before successfully taking a vehicle from a woman stopped at a traffic light near Destination Daytona in Ormond Beach.
After the carjacking, the stolen vehicle’s tag was entered into an LPR hotlist. Flock cameras detected the tag traveling eastbound on SR 44, alerting law enforcement, according to VSO.
Pursuit was authorized, and deputies spotted the vehicle on SR 44. Taylor continued fleeing, with VSO estimating his speed reached 137 mph.
Near the Walmart on SR 44, Taylor crossed into the oncoming lanes.
VSO said Taylor crashed into two vehicles near the I-95 overpass and got out of the stolen car.
Then he ran.
One of the Drivers Was Waiting in a Truck
One of the drivers involved in the crash later gave FOX 35 a firsthand account of the collision.
“The car basically came off the interstate, came across the median to the wrong side of the road, clipped the dump truck in front of me and lost control of the vehicle on the shoulder, came in sideways and hit the front of my truck,” the driver told the station.
Taylor got out after the crash and tried to enter the driver’s truck, according to the driver.
The door was locked.
“When he could not enter my vehicle, he ran straight back,” the driver said.
Body-camera footage showed deputies pursuing Taylor on foot and ordering him to the ground before taking him into custody.
Taylor was transported to a hospital for evaluation after his arrest, according to VSO.
The Case Spans Several Agencies
VSO said Taylor faced charges from the Florida Highway Patrol, Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, New Smyrna Beach Police Department, and Ormond Beach Police Department, along with prior charges from Daytona Beach Police Department.
Volusia County jail records list nine charges against Taylor: grand theft of a motor vehicle, two counts of carjacking, two battery charges listed as touch or strike, burglary of an occupied conveyance, false imprisonment, and two fleeing or attempting to elude charges.
Both carjacking charges, false imprisonment, and one touch-or-strike charge were listed with no bond.
The grand theft charge carried a $50,000 surety or cash bond. The two fleeing charges, burglary of an occupied conveyance, and the remaining touch-or-strike charge were each listed with $10,000 surety or cash bonds.
Taylor Appears Before a Judge
Taylor appeared before a judge Friday, when FOX 35 reported that he was ordered held without bond.
His wife spoke to the station after the hearing and said Taylor’s behavior was out of character. She described him as a “stand-up husband and father.”
She also apologized to the people affected.
“I am so sorry that that happened to you. I thank the Lord that no one was hurt,” she told FOX 35. “It’s so unfortunate and it’s so sad.”
Taylor remained in the Volusia County jail Friday.
All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.