A Leesburg woman was arrested Sunday for fleeing a traffic stop in a U-Haul truck despite having a suspended license and multiple warrants last year.
On Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, an officer with the Fruitland Park Police Department observed a U-Haul rental truck traveling northbound on U.S. Highway 27/441 near the intersection with South Grays Airport Road, according to an affidavit of probable cause out of Lake County.
As the officer was positioned in the lefthand land beside the U-Haul, she noticed none of the occupants wore a seatbelt. The center passenger was kneeling between the driver and the passenger seat, as the vehicle was not equipped with a center seat. The female driver resembled 53-year-old Hyla Christine Hanson who the officer knew to have a suspended driver’s license and be on probation for fleeing to elude, the affidavit said.
The officer positioned her patrol vehicle behind the U-Haul and conducted a traffic stop using emergency lights. The truck signaled to turn and slowed down, seemingly to find somewhere to pull over. It did not make any evasive maneuvers thus far, the affidavit said.
The officer initiated the siren, to which the U-Haul briefly stopped, and got out of her patrol vehicle. She began to approach the truck while giving loud commands to take the keys out. Despite several commands to do so, Hanson did not comply, the affidavit said.
The U-Haul’s side window was partially open, so the officer could hear Hanson saying something back to her but was unable to figure out what it was. The officer was still able to confirm her initial observation of the driver, positively identifying her as Hanson, the affidavit said.
As the officer got closer to the driver-side door, the U-Haul started to move forward down Genius Court. The officer yelled, “Hyla,” at which time she fled in the truck southbound on Genius Court at a high rate of speed. The affidavit noted there were multiple pedestrians and motor vehicles on the street, as it was a residential highway. The speeding truck caused them to veer off the road, which showed a wanton disregard for public safety.
Upon reaching the intersection of Genius Court and Sunrise Road, the U-Haul ignored a stop sign and proceeded westbound on Sunrise Road. The truck was not pursued due to agency policy, the affidavit said.
The officer was familiar with Hanson from prior law enforcement encounters where she fled from the officer’s traffic stop in a vehicle in May and July 2023. In both incidents, Hanson initially stopped, and contact was made at the window before she fled at a high rate of speed, the affidavit said.
The affidavit noted Hanson was currently on felony probation out of Lake County for flee or elude law enforcement officer as of April 2024 until April 2029, with one of the special conditions listed as “no driving.” She was also on misdemeanor probation for possession of paraphernalia and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence out of Sumter County.
A check of Hanson’s license showed it was revoked for fleeing or attempting to elude police officer in April 2024, a non-judgement suspension in May 2024 and an indefinite cancellation in May 2024, the affidavit said.
Hanson also had three active warrants for her arrest: two for violation of probation out of Lake County from July 2024 and one for violation of probation out of Sumter County from July 2024, the affidavit said.
The Georgia native was ultimately arrested Sunday morning by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on a warrant charging her with fleeing to elude law enforcement, driving while license suspended and resisting an officer without violence. She was transported to Lake County Jail to be held without bond.