High on Drugs and Fleeing from the FHP 

WILD VIDEO shows 20-year-old James R. Perridge fleeping from troopers down the wrong side of the street while high on drugs. 

Mr. Perridge was charged with:

  • 1. FLEE/ELUDE - HIGH SPEED VEHICLE PURSUIT 
  • 2. RESIST OR OBSTRUCT WITHOUT VIOLENCE 
  • 3. DUI INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS 
  • 4. RECKLESS DRIVING 1ST OFFENSE

The Trooper's Full Arrest Report

"While traveling north in the center lane, I observed a white Honda sports utility vehicle overtaking me at a high rate of speed.  I also noticed that the vehicle's high beam lights were activated and the windshield wipers were in operation. 

The weather conditions were clear at the time, so the use of windshield wipers and high beams was unconventional.  I then began to see the vehicle travel in a reckless manner.  The vehicle began swerving from lane to lane while traveling at a high rate of speed.  The vehicle began driving directly behind my patrol car at an extremely close distance.  I activated my in-car camera to capture these events. 

The vehicle then began driving on the right shoulder, cut across all northbound travel lanes, and then accelerated onto the left shoulder.  I overtook the vehicle and activated the emergency equipment on my marked patrol car, including lights and sirens. Initially, the vehicle slowed on the left shoulder but then accelerated aggressively to flee the traffic stop.  At this time, I utilized my in-car radio to relay the events unfolding.  I observed the attached Florida license plate of QXLW26. 

The vehicle then used the official U-turn at mile marker 318 in the median of I-75. The vehicle made a dangerous turn directly in front of southbound traffic, nearly causing a catastrophic collision.  I continued to pursue the vehicle, now traveling south on I-75. I paced the vehicle at 110 mph in a posted 70 mph zone. While traveling at this speed, the vehicle passed other traffic on the shoulder and passed using the travel lanes. All of these lane changes were made just moments before a collision occurred.  

The vehicle then used the southbound exit ramp to County Road 48 within the city of Bushnell, FL. After passing stopped traffic on the left grassy shoulder, the vehicle began traveling east within the westbound lanes of travel on County Road 48. I continued to pursue the vehicle, all while watching the motoring public narrowly miss a potentially deadly head-on collision with the defendant. 

Once I was able to determine I could safely end the pursuit, I utilized a PIT (precision immobilization technique) by placing the front right of my patrol vehicle into the rear right side of the defendant's vehicle.  This caused the defendant's vehicle to travel in a southerly direction across all lanes of County Road 48 and onto the southern shoulder. 

After colliding with a mailbox, the vehicle overturned onto its roof. The defendant was removed from the vehicle by myself, Trooper A. Amato, and the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.  After detaining the defendant, I located a wallet containing a Florida driver license that identified the defendant as James R. Perridge. The defendant was acting extremely paranoid.  The defendant had a blank stare, was incoherent while speaking, and was generally confused. Sumter County EMS arrived at the scene to assess the defendant for injuries. 

It was determined the defendant should be transported to HCA Florida Ocala Hospital for evaluation due to his erratic behavior and the aftermath of the PIT. While at HCA Florida Ocala Hospital, I read the defendant his Miranda warning from my agency-issued card. After acknowledging his constitutional rights, the defendant did not want to speak with me without an attorney present.  After receiving medical clearance, the subject was transported to the Sumter County Detention Center."

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