Hit and run in Naples causes 3 crime scenes
Published: Aug 29, 2012 12:57 PM EDT
Updated: Aug 30, 2012 1:52 PM EDT


 

 

NAPLES, Fla - A hit and run sparked by road rage leads to a high speed chase in a busy Naples shopping complex.

The action started near Pine Ridge Road and Airport Pulling Road just before noon Wednesday. The chase went through the nearby Home Depot parking lot and ended at the Petco around the corner.

Dozens of people witnessed the chase and tell WINK News two cars came speeding through the Home Depot parking lot at 60 miles per hour. Witnesses say the first car, a white Yukon, tried to turn, but ended up flying over the curb, smashing into three cars.

"It was insane, the most craziest thing I have ever seen in my life," says witness Eli Joseph. "All of a sudden I heard tires screeching and I looked up and the white car hit the curb and once it hit the curb it just flew over the median and lost control."

Florida Highway Patrol says the high speed chase started because of road rage. Troopers say the driver in the Yukon cut off a female driver on Airport Pulling Road. She honked at him. He then threw something at her car and took off into the Home Depot Parking lot. In all the Yukon slammed into three parked cars, including Jimmy Warren's Jeep.

"My beloved car," says Warren. "I love my jeep, my favorite car. I am more sad about that than anything."

Jimmy was working inside the Home Depot at the time of the crash and came out to find the back end of his Jeep had been taken out. "It was up on the curb and it was sitting up on the other car. It was up on the hood of the other car."

From Home Depot, Troopers say the driver took off along Naples Boulevard to Miller's Ale House. That's where the driver and two others jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards PETCO, where the chase finally ended.

"Luckily, no one was hurt because there easily could have been some serious damage."

The driver and two others in the Yukon were arrested. Troopers say the driver faces a slew of charges, including fleeing the scene.

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COLLIER COUNTY, Fla.- A hit and run crash, caused by road rage, created three different crime scenes in Naples Wednesday morning.

The road rage started on Airport Pulling Rd. when a woman was cut off by the white Yukon. She honked her horn at the male driver, who proceeded to throw something at her car, before speeding off toward the Home Depot parking lot.

The woman followed him, trying to get his license plate number.

The man sped through the Home Depot parking lot at 60-65 mph, according to witnesses. He missed the turn, hit a curb, flew up and ran into a parked Mercury. He then hit a Jeep, pushing the Jeep into a third car.

Witnesses say the man then peeled out of the Home Depot parking lot and headed to Miller's Ale House. He parked at that location and the three people inside the vehicle fled on foot, running to PetCo.

The driver was arrested at PetCo. He will likely be charged with three counts of fleeing the scene with property damage, in additon to road rage charges.

FHP is investigating.


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