Video Shows Florida Man Driving Stolen Forklift As Police Pursue On Cross-County Chase
"It was definitely a sight that you don't see every day," one witness said.
A Florida man's multi-county joyride on a forklift ended with handcuffs and criminal charges early Sunday morning.
Nicholas Powell, 22, allegedly led Clay County Sheriff's deputies on a low-speed chase through two counties in northeastern Florida after deputies say he stole a forklift from Sunbelt Rentals in Orange Park, according to ActionJax CBS 47.
Deputies received a call around 12:45 a.m. from someone who spotted a man driving a forklift erratically on the road noting that he "didn't look like a construction worker," according to the police report.
When deputies arrived, they tried to pull Powell over; however, he continued driving the forklift eluding officers.
The pursuit was caught on video and tweeted by ActionJax CBS 47 reporter Russell Colburn.
A witness, Justin Jean, told News 104.5 WOKV he was able to record a portion of the chase on his cell phone.
"It was definitely a sight that you don't see every day at 12:30-1 o'clock in the morning," he told the station.
While the incident was entertaining, Jean said it was also scary.
"He could've definitely done a lot of damage with that heavy equipment," he told 104.5 WOKV.
The pursuit eventually ended when Powell pulled off of the highway into a grass lot near a gas station, according to ActionJax CBS 47.
The Jacksonville man now faces a slew of charges related to the incident, including grand theft, fleeing and eluding police who had lights and sirens active, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and refusing a field sobriety test, according to the Miami Herald. He was also charged with trespassing on a construction site and a second offense of driving with a suspended license.
According to online jail records, he's being held at the Clay County jail on a bond of $29,010.
[Photo: Clay County Sheriff's Office]