Police: Flagler County detective caught speeding 88 MPH, arrested for fleeing

FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - A detective with the Flagler County Sheriff's Office was arrested on Thursday after Ormond Beach Police said he was actively trying to flee from officials. 

What we know:

Detective Ardit Coma, 28, was arrested Thursday morning, Dec. 4, for a traffic violation, which the sheriff's office defined as "fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer." Coma was arrested in Ormond Beach by Ormond Beach Police. 

Coma was driving around 88 miles per hour on N. U.S. Highway 1 in Volusia County, an arrest affidavit said. An officer initiated a traffic stop behind Coma at an intersection and activated his lights and siren, the affidavit said. Coma continued north – failing to yield – and accelerated around traffic, police said. 

"It was apparent the vehicle was actively attempting to flee," the affidavit said. 

As Coma passed another Ormond Beach officer, he was traveling 90 miles per hour, the affidavit said. Coma avoided the department's stopsticks.  

When officers conducted a felony stop on Coma, they observed his uniform, indicating he was law enforcement. Coma asked the officers what was going on, to which they told him he was under arrest for fleeing and eluding. Coma said he didn't know an officer was behind him trying to pull him over. 

Who is Det. Ardit Coma? 

Coma – who joined the sheriff's office in June 2023 and currently serves in the Major Case Unit – was in an unmarked agency-issued vehicle and was on his way to work when the incident occurred, the sheriff's office said. Coma was immediately suspended without pay.

Coma previously received a life-saving award in 2024. 

"Sheriff Rick Staly expects our employees to follow the law and when a deputy’s alleged actions rise to the level of an arrest, we act swiftly, as this type of behavior is not representative of the values or expectations of the Sheriff’s Office," Mark Strobridge, Flagler County Sheriff's Office's Chief of Staff said in a released statement. "We also believe in the criminal justice system which provides Detective Coma due process just like anyone else."

What's next:

The Ormond Beach Police Department is conducting the investigation. 

Once the criminal case is completed, the FCSO Professional Standards Unit will conduct an internal investigation, the sheriff's office said. 

At this time, Detective Coma is suspended without pay and has no law enforcement authority.