A black Nissan Sentra darts through northwest Miami-Dade traffic with patrol vehicles close behind. Then comes another hit, another attempt to box it in, and still the driver keeps moving.
The pursuit Thursday afternoon ended only after a Florida Highway Patrol trooper sent the battered sedan spinning near Northwest 17th Avenue and 79th Street.
Police identified the driver as 35-year-old Eugene Jordan Brown. Hours earlier, Brown had been taken to Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah under Florida’s Baker Act for a mental health evaluation, according to NBC 6 South Florida.
What happened between the hospital and that final PIT maneuver set off a search, an alleged carjacking and a pursuit through busy Miami-Dade streets.
Out Of The Hospital
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Brown had been brought to the hospital on West 68th Street by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office under a Baker Act order. Reporting indicates the deputy had already delivered him to the facility before Brown left shortly afterward.
Once outside, police said Brown approached a woman who was getting out of her black Nissan Sentra in the hospital parking lot and forced his way into the vehicle.
He drove away in the Sentra and struck another vehicle while leaving, according to police information reported by NBC 6.
Hialeah Fire Rescue personnel evaluated the woman, and WSVN reported she was taken into the hospital for treatment.
Spotted Again
The Sentra resurfaced hours later.
Officers located it around the area of Northwest 65th Street and 17th Avenue shortly before 1 p.m., and the encounter quickly developed into a pursuit.
Video showed the Nissan racing through intersections and maneuvering around traffic as Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies and FHP troopers followed.
During the chase, Brown ran at least one red light, evaded attempts to block the Sentra and struck another vehicle, CBS Miami reported.
At points, the Nissan traveled into opposing traffic.
The pursuit footage also captured repeated efforts to disable the car. Several PIT attempts damaged the Sentra without immediately ending the chase.
Still Moving
The Nissan continued even after those impacts.
WSVN reported that the driver struck a Hialeah Police cruiser during the pursuit, although Hialeah Police later said its officers were not participating in the chase itself.
The distinction matters because several agencies appeared during the rapidly changing response. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies and FHP troopers pursued the Sentra, while Hialeah Police remained responsible for investigating the earlier carjacking and hit-and-run in its jurisdiction.
Witnesses along the route watched the damaged Nissan continue past businesses, other motorists and patrol vehicles as troopers tried to bring it to a stop.
One Final Hit
Near Northwest 79th Street and 17th Avenue, an FHP trooper finally turned the Sentra sideways with another PIT maneuver.
The car spun and stopped. Officers surrounded it, and Brown was taken into custody.
No serious injuries from the pursuit were reported in the initial accounts.
As of the latest reporting reviewed by Guessing Headlights, authorities had identified Brown as the man accused in the hospital parking-lot carjacking, but a reliable public record establishing his resulting criminal charges and custody disposition was not yet available.