Walton County man arrested after stealing vehicle, leading chase

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WTVY) - A Walton County man is now behind bars after stealing a vehicle in Bay County and leading law enforcement on a chase in Washington County.

According to details released by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, they were notified at around 7:39 p.m. on Thursday of a stolen vehicle from Bay County, a dark colored Dodge Ram.

Deputies were able to find a vehicle matching the description of the stolen truck as it was traveling north on Florida Highway 79.

After an attempted traffic stop, the driver refused to yield and a pursuit began. The chase went through the city limits of Vernon, with WCSO saying that the suspect exceeded speeds of 115 miles per hour while abruptly changing lanes.

As deputies narrowed in on the subject, spike strips were set up south of Chipley near Clayton Road, according to the report, and successfully hindered the truck resulting in a decreased speed chase. After the vehicle turned westbound on Douglas Ferry Road just south of Bonifay, the driver lost control and crashed.

The suspect exited the vehicle and led deputies on a foot chase, which ended within minutes thanks to assistance from Washington and Holmes County K-9 teams.

24-year-old Caleb Sterling Coleman of Defuniak Springs was arrested and charged with fleeing and eluding, resisting an officer, and leaving the scene of an accident. Coleman also faces additional charges related to the vehicle theft from Bay County.

He was booked into the Washington County Jail, with no details released on any bond for Coleman.

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