A man officials believe was driving drunk late Wednesday led deputies on a chase that resulted in a three-car collision and sent two people to the hospital.
It all began when witnesses reported seeing a gold Cadillac sedan driving “all over the roadway” near Ulmerton Road and 66th Street just before 11:30 p.m.
Deputy Gregory Horton, 32, spotted the car and began to follow it. That’s when the Cadillac, driven by Joseph Johnson, 34, of Bradenton pulled onto the wrong side of the road, deputies said.
Johnson was driving westbound on the eastbound side of Ulmerton Road when he sideswiped a Honda Pilot driven by James Mcannaly, 54, according to reports. Mcannaly was not injured in the collision, deputies said.
Johnson then returned to the westbound side of the road and continued on as Horton attempted to use his cruiser to force Johnson to lose control and stop his car, officials said. But it didn’t work.
As Horton began to approach Johnson, the Cadillac sped away, sideswiping Horton’s cruiser and again driving into oncoming traffic, deputies said.
At 66th Street and Ulmerton Road, Johnson crashed head-on into a Ford Explorer driven by Stanley Wilson, 32, of Largo, deputies said.
Wilson was stopped at a red light in the westbound right lane of Ulmerton Road. The crash sent the Explorer into a stopped Toyota Tacoma driven by William Davis, 58, deputies said.
Johnson and Wilson were taken to a local hospital. Deputies said they were expected to survive their injuries. Davis and Sharon Glanton-Davis, 58, a passenger in the Toyota, were uninjured.
The gold Cadillac Johnson was driving and Wilson’s Explorer were totalled in the crash, officials said. The Toyota received minor damage.
Deputies said alcohol was a factor in the incident.
Johnson remains in the hospital in serious condition, guarded by a deputy.
He has will be charged with four counts of DUI involving property damage, two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, DUI involving serious bodily injury and aggravated fleeing and eluding of a police officer.
St. Petersburg Times
