A Leesburg man with an extensive criminal history was arrested after crashing a stolen truck while being chased by a Lady Lake Police officer.
Floyd Thomas Coburn Jr., 30, of 643 W. Oak Terrace, was charged April 11 with fleeing or eluding police with disregard of safety to persons or property, grand theft of a motor vehicle, resisting an officer without violence, and two counts of refusing to accept and sign a citation.
Coburn, who is being held on $23,000 bond, has 11 prior arrests in Lake County dating back to 2011 on charges including disorderly conduct, public intoxication, assaulting an officer, resisting an officer with violence, felony battery, violating a protection order, petit theft, dealing in stolen property, driving with a suspended license and contempt of court, according to jail records.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the officer observed Coburn in a 2005 Chevy Silverado enter the roadway on U.S. Highway 27/44 near Longview Avenue against a “Do Not Enter” sign and failing to yield to traffic. The officer pulled behind the truck and activated his emergency lights and siren to initiate a traffic stop, according to the police report.
Coburn failed to stop and continued south on U.S. Highway 27/441, swerving through traffic and nearly striking several vehicles. After clearing traffic and while on open road, Coburn continued to swerve on the right side of the roadway at speeds of 75 to 85 mph in a posted 50-mph zone in a manner consistent with an impaired driver, the report said.
As the truck started to turn right onto County Road 25A in Fruitland Park, it left the roadway, struck a concrete light pole and continued into a ditch. When the truck came to a rest, Coburn crawled out the passenger widow and tried to flee on foot. The officer gave several commands to stop before deploying his Taser and bringing him to the ground, where he was placed in handcuffs, according to the report.
It turns out the vehicle was stolen from Plaza Lincoln, 8925 U.S. Hwy. 441. The owner of the truck said he parked his vehicle at the dealership at around 6 p.m. April 9 after completing his work for the day there. He said he left a spare set of keys in the toolbox, which was located in the bed of the truck, along with a 12-gauge shotgun and a 30-30 Winchester. The owner valued the truck at around $5,000, the report said.
Coburn will answer to the charges in Lincoln County Court on May 10.
