A homeless man was arrested after crashing his vehicle while attempting to flee from law enforcement in Leesburg.
A deputy on patrol observed 39-year-old Mashad Cordell McKenzie speeding westbound in Leesburg at 1:20 a.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Radar confirmed his black Hyundai was traveling 35 mph in a 25-mph zone.
Seeing this, the deputy initiated a traffic stop at Colonial Street and Arrowhead Drive. The vehicle continued and ultimately sped up, traveling in the opposite lane. The traffic stop was terminated for public safety concerns, the report said.
A search of the area revealed the vehicle had crashed off the roadway at the corner of County Road 468 and Veech Road. It had run over a street sign and damaged a power pole before stopping in the treeline. The taillights were still on, and McKenzie was trying to get out of the vehicle, the report said.
He complied with commands to exit the vehicle and was subsequently detained, along with a female passenger. McKenzie was being taken into custody when he stated he may have some weed on him and in the car. A search of the vehicle yielded a plastic sandwich baggie with a piece of tinfoil that contained THC wax, the report said.
A later check of McKenzie’s driving history determined he had 10 convictions for driving with an invalid license. On Oct. 26, 2017, he was labeled a habitual traffic offender for a revocation of five years. He received another revocation for fleeing or attempting to elude an officer on April 1, 2020, the report said.
McKenzie was ultimately charged with flee or attempt to elude law enforcement (wanton disregard), driving while license revoked (habitual traffic offender) and possession of THC wax concentrate. He was booked at the Lake County Jail without bond.
He was also arrested in March 2025 for a brutal attack that hospitalized a woman and in Nov. 2023 for allegedly damaging a woman’s trailer.