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Teen drives car erratically in mall lot - hits a police car then crashes into Sears
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View this Thread in Original format
| Swamper |
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15290556/
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - A 15-year-old driver is accused of driving a car erratically around the parking lot of the Volusia Mall on Monday morning.
Officials said the Port Orange teenager and his friends got into some sort of argument, and the teen driver started driving wildly around the parking lot in Daytona Beach, WESH 2 News reported.
Jashawn Rotella sideswiped a police car and nearly hit several people, police said.
"He then struck the rear of the Sears Auto Center and blew out one of his tires, continued forward, hit a curb, blew out another tire, turned the vehicle around and then at about 40 mph, jumped out and the vehicle, driverless, then crashed into the side of the building," said Lt. Craig Buth of the Daytona Beach Police Department.
The 15-year-old's sister, Jessica, said their group had just returned from Orlando and stopped at the mall. She said her brother grabbed the vehicle from a legal driver and started careening around the parking lot.
"He just went berserk. He started tearing up the parking lot, running all over. He almost ran over some people going into Sears," said witness Dave Beattie. "People could have been killed. He was just inches from running them over."
WESH 2's Claire Metz asked Rotella if knew how many people he could have hit.
"I do not. They're talking about giving me 15 years," he said.
Before crashing into the Sears, the teen also drove the SUV onto busy International Speedway Boulevard.
"This vehicle exited the mall, went eastbound in the westbound lanes of Speedway Boulevard, crossed over and westbound in the eastbound lanes, came back into the parking lot (and) continued to drive at a high rate of speed," Buth said.
The teen was taken to the Daytona Beach Police Department.
His sister said she doesn't understand why her brother did it. She said there had been some argument in the vehicle over a radio station, and that may have set him off.
Rotella said he was doing it to look good for the gang that he is in.
"I guess I was basically trying to be stupid and show off, I guess, to win me some brownie points with my gang. I guess all it did was land me in more trouble," he said.
His sister said she saw him barely miss hitting a child who was walking with his mother.
"I didn't mean to hit him with that car," Rotella said.
Rotella said his brakes went out and he didn't mean to hit a police officer or anyone else.
Police said Rotella is being charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated fleeing and eluding, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and driving without a valid driver's license.
The state will decide if he faces the charges as an adult or a juvenile.
Police said he caused about $3,000 worth of damage to the police car.
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| EXTREMUM |
Only in Florida...
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| KilldaDJ |
| never teach him kung fiii |
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| dallastar |
| quote: | Originally posted by EXTREMUM
Only in Florida...
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exactly |
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| Protege |
| Daytona lol. That mall sucks anyways. |
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| jdat |
| quote: | Originally posted by EXTREMUM
Only in Florida...
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beat me to it!
:haha:
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| EXTREMUM |
| quote: | Originally posted by dallastar
exactly |
I haven't seen any accidents, on Long Island, since I moved down here. Yet, I've seen at least one accident, everyday in FL. |
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| EXTREMUM |
| quote: | Originally posted by Protege
Daytona lol. That mall sucks anyways. |
Town Center; Boca Raton, and City Place; West Palm Beach are where it's at! |
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| EXTREMUM |
| quote: | Originally posted by jdat
beat me to it!
:haha:
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This one caught my eyes right away, because I had a feeling it was Florida-related. |
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| jdat |
| quote: | Originally posted by EXTREMUM
This one caught my eyes right away, because I had a feeling it was Florida-related. |
Totally ! There wasn't even a need to write it in the subject title |
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| EXTREMUM |
| quote: | Originally posted by jdat
Totally ! There wasn't even a need to write it in the subject title |
Actually, it's the subject title that led me to believe, it happenend in FL. |
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| Boomer187 |
| quote: | Originally posted by jdat
beat me to it!
:haha:
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