A man and woman from Virginia were arrested over the weekend after leading deputies on a lengthy pursuit in a stolen minivan in the Florida Keys, authorities said.
Eric Lee Kincaid, 21, was arrested Saturday on two counts of fleeing and eluding, grand theft auto and driving on a suspended license following the pursuit that began at Mile Marker 86 and didn't end until Mile Marker 42 on Seven Mile Bridge, Monroe County Sheriff's Office officials said. His passenger, 22-year-old Diana Louise Stokes, was arrested on a marijuana possession charge, authorities said.
Kincaid held a cell phone out of the window multiple times during the incident, "as if he was taking a selfie or live-broadcasting the pursuit," the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Authorities said the pursuit began after they received information that a stolen red Dodge Caravan with Virginia tags was heading southbound in Key Largo. A deputy spotted the car and tried to stop it near Mile Marker 86, but the van sped off at a high rate of speed, and the pursuit was canceled "due to the reckless disregard for safety displayed by the van’s driver," authorities said.
Officials said a deputy deployed spike strips at Mile Marker 73, deflating one of the van's rear tires. The van was able to avoid spike strips at Mile Marker 61.5, but spike strips at Mile Marker 60.5 blew out the van's front tires, officials said.
The van continued southbound and avoided more spike strips at Coco Plum Drive, but spike strips at Mile Marker 45 on the Seven Mile Bridge deflated the last tire, and Kincaid finally stopped the van at Mile Marker 42, officials said.
Thankfully no one was injured in the incident.
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Kincaid and Stokes were removed from the van at gunpoint and taken into custody before they were booked into jail. Attorney information wasn't available.
