ORLANDO, Fla. – A man driving a Ford that was considered a suspect vehicle in a homicide investigation led officers on a 90 mph pursuit for 20 minutes then afterward apologized and offered to fix the damage he caused, according to the Orlando Police Department.
Records show on March 11, an undercover officer was conducting surveillance on a dark green 2000 Ford Excursion with a missing front grill because it matched the description of a vehicle used in a shooting.
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Authorities have not provided information about which shooting or when it occurred.
The officer said around 10:30 a.m., he noticed Elijah Wilson and another man were at a home on Cottage Hill Road conducting work on a dirt bike while going in and out of the Ford.
Afraid that they would destroy any potential evidence in the vehicle, the officer decided to place his undercover vehicle in front of the Ford and activate his lights, according to the affidavit.
Records show Wilson got in the Ford, put it in reverse and repeatedly backed into a fence until it came down so he could drive through it into an empty lot.
Police said Wilson drove around there until he realized he had nowhere to go and turned around, went through another fence and drove onto Cottage Hill Road as several other police vehicles joined in the pursuit.
According to the reports, Wilson went over medians and reached speeds of 90 mph but appeared unable to go any faster due to mechanical issues with the Ford, which was smoking, spraying radiator fluid and had a tire that appeared to be bouncing.
The pursuit lasted about 20 minutes and went onto Interstate 4, near the entrance of Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort and onto U.S. 192, records show. It ended at the intersection of West Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway and North Poinciana Boulevard.
Officers said they were able to contact Wilson’s girlfriend and she called him and convinced him to pull over.
After he was arrested, Wilson apologized, said multiple times that he made a mistake and offered to fix the fences he broke. He said he sped off because he thought he had a failure to appear warrant for his arrest, according to authorities.
He was arrested on charges of fleeing and eluding, driving with a revoked license and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.
Authorities haven’t said whether he’s considered a suspect in the shooting investigation.