OKAHUMPKA, Fla. – A Florida Department of Corrections inmate attacked a corrections officer along John Young Parkway Thursday and fled in a vehicle before crashing in Lake County, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident happened around 12:52 p.m. at North John Young Parkway and East Way Expressway when the inmate hit a corrections officer with a shovel and then stole his agency truck, according to the sheriff’s office.
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The Sheriff’s Office helicopter was able to track the vehicle to Lake County where the inmate crashed at County Road 48 and County Road 470 in Okahumpka.
Video from Sky 6 showed a white Ford F-150 crashed at the scene with front-end damage and at least one airbag deployed. Another car also appeared to be involved in the wreck.
The Florida Highway Patrol confirmed it is investigating the wreck in Okahumpka.
The inmate, identified as Dalton J. Ayers, was apprehended by law enforcement in Lake County.
The corrections officer suffered minor injuries, deputies said, although the Florida Department of Corrections said the correctional officer was “brutally attacked.”
“These types of escapes are extremely rare. The Department is committed to ensuring all inmates are supervised appropriately and security protocols at all facilities are followed to prevent escapes,” the agency said in a news release.
Records show Ayers has been in custody since August.