A Tavares man was arrested Thursday night after a high-speed pursuit through Leesburg, Fruitland Park and Lady Lake.
The chase began when Tavares police contacted the Leesburg Police Department about a gray Ford Mustang moving at a high rate speed northbound on U.S. Hwy. 441. The Leesburg patrol officer activated his emergency lights and siren when he observed the Mustang driving erratically at more than 100 miles per hour. He followed the Mustang as it weaved in and out of traffic. The Leesburg officer stopped the pursuit and radioed ahead to officers in Fruitland Park and Lady Lake, warning that the Mustang was heading in their direction.
A Fruitland Park officer pursued the Mustang which was exceeding 100 mph and did not have its headlights operating. He broke off the chase when the Mustang entered Lady Lake where a Lady Lake officer began following the Mustang. As the Mustang drove through the construction on U.S. Hwy. 27/441 in Lady Lake, the pursuing officer saw the suspect run red lights at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and Griffin View Drive intersection and the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and County Road 466.
Lady Lake officers deployed stop sticks near the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and Fennell Boulevard which punctured the Mustang’s right front tire. The Mustang slowed down and stopped at the Lady Lake Commons shopping center. Lady Lake officers extracted 21-year-old Jewell Terry Sartin III. Officers found drugs on his person and in his car. He admitted to smoking fentanyl and appeared to be impaired. Sartin failed field sobriety tests.
He was booked on multiple charges at the Lake County Jail. Bond was set at $29,000.