Fleeing felon arrested after crashing into Citrus County home, injuring occupant

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS

FLORAL CITY, Fla. - A felon was arrested after he led deputies on a high-speed chase before eventually crashing into a Citrus County home on Tuesday evening, according to authorities. 

According to the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, Traveon Jaquaad Samuels, 20, was seen failing to stop at a stop sign near East Gobbler Drive and South Withlapopka Drive in Floral City. 

READ: Pinellas County's new Gateway Expressway opens this Friday, expected to shorten daily commutes

When deputies flashed their emergency lights, Samuels began to reverse toward the patrol car, quickly stopped, and made a U-turn. The sheriff's office reported he then drove recklessly through residential streets, evading authorities at speeds of up to 60 mph in a 30 mph zone.

Photo courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff's Office

Deputies deployed a tire deflation device which struck the vehicle's front right tire. Samuels continued to evade deputies, though, switching to the oncoming lane of traffic and nearly colliding head-on with a patrol car. 

Samuels eventually drove through a backyard and crashed into a nearby home with a person inside. Samuels then got out of his car and began to run away but was quickly apprehended after a short chase, according to CCSO. 

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter

The victim inside the home was hospitalized and is currently in stable condition, deputies said. 

K-9 Airborne detected the presence of a controlled substance in Samuels' car, which turned out to be several bags of illegal narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. 

He had an active warrant out of Putnam County for trafficking in fentanyl and trafficking in methamphetamine and faces those charges, as well as fleeing and eluding with disregard for safety, trafficking in heroin, and more. He is currently being held at the Citrus County Detention Center without bond.