Woman leads deputies on 18-mile chase before arrest

NEW PORT RICHEY (FOX 13) - Deputies said a women led them on a chase and they were forced to use spike strips, pepper spray and a Taser to place her under arrest Thursday night.

Pasco County deputies arrested 35-year-old Allison Cooper, of Titusville, and charged her with fleeing to elude with reckless disregard, resisting with violence, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, and felony criminal mischief.

It started just after 11 p.m. on U.S. Highway 19 near Moog Road. The vehicle, driven by cooper, fled the stop.

Deputies pursued, and said the vehicle's movements implied the driver was impaired. They followed northbound and the the driver stopped near Main Street in New Port Richey, but when deputies approached the vehicle, it began to back up and drive away.

Deputies said the driver came straight for them, hit an unoccupied patrol car, and then sideswiped another car before heading north, again on U.S. 19.

Officers deployed stop sticks to deflate the vehicle's front tires. After a total of 18 miles, the driver turned down a dead end road at the entrance to PHSC's Spring Hill Campus and stopped at a closed fence.

Deputies said Cooper refused to comply or respond to commands, so they had to force entry to her vehicle through a window. She was taken into custody after a brief struggle that required the use of pepper spray and a Taser. She was taken to the Land O' Laked Detention Center on a $27,000 total bond.