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Home invasion suspects lead police on chase, crash into vehicle

Three suspects ran away, authorities say

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A crash involving four cars, including suspects involved in an Ocoee home invasion, occurred in Winter Garden, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Police received a call about a home invasion around 4 a.m., and Winter Garden police pursued a car involved in the incident, officials said.

A trio -- two men and a woman -- were coming home from a night out, when they discovered five or six men in pig masks similar to the movie "The Purge" ransacking the bedrooms, Ocoee police Lt. Mike Bryant said. The owner of the home was tied up, pistol-whipped, beaten and then kidnapped in his own car.

Three other men left in a Mercedes-Benz and were later spotted.

When police attempted to pull the car over over, the driver accelerated and tried to drive off, subsequently running a red light at the intersection Colonial Drive and Good Homes Road, officials said.

As a result, the suspects struck a Nissan traveling north on Good Homes Road. The driver of the Nissan was seriously injured. Police attempting to clear traffic from the accident were struck by a another car.

"It's bad enough when you have a home invasion and then you end up innocent people get struck. The cars are fleeing the area and what not it's just tragic. You are just trying to go to work in the morning and out of nowhere a car come fleeing from the scene," Lt. Bryant said. 

All three men in the Mercedes were able to run away as officers helped the injured driver, officials said.

Officials were able to locate guns and drugs in the vehicle, authorities said.

The victim of the home invasion who was kidnapped in his own car was dropped off and his vehicle was recovered, according to authorities.

The crash remains under investigation and charges are pending against the driver of the Mercedes. 


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