A Leesburg man with a penchant for fleeing from Lake County sheriff’s deputies was jailed early Sunday morning after a high-speed chase ended in a crash.
Deputies with the sheriff’s office’s Street Crimes Unit located a black Porsche SUV leaving a store in the unincorporated area of Leesburg and identified the driver as 27-year-old James Darren Davis. Deputies had pursued the SUV in the past and attempted to make a traffic stop, a sheriff’s office report states.
Davis fled from deputies and hit speeds of 126 mph, a sheriff’s office report states. He is accused of attempting to cause a head-on collision with a sheriff’s sergeant’s patrol vehicle before crashing his Porsche on County Road 473 and attempting to run from deputies.
Davis collapsed while fleeing and required medical attention due to a possible overdose. A crew from Lake EMS administered multiple doses of Narcan, ultimately bringing Davis back to life. He was then transported to an area hospital with deputies following behind the ambulance.
Deputies searched Davis’ vehicle and located a loaded Walther PPK .380-caliber handgun, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and MDMA. A background check showed that Davis was on probation for two separate drug charges at the time of his arrest, the report says.
Davis was charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding with wanton disregard to safety, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, resisting with violence and armed trafficking of heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl and MDMA. He also is facing charges for violating his probation on possession of cocaine and controlled substance charges.
Davis, who lives at 1333 Margaret Dr. in Leesburg, was being held on $185,000. He is due in Lake County Court on Oct. 5 at 8:30 a.m.
