Three photos One of the scene of the crash this morning, after the vehicle was removed from the water. The second is a picture of the Mercedes being pulled from the water and the third is a picture of Sheriff’s Office dive team members Deputies Darren Jensen (on the right) and William Daniels getting ready to go into the canal.
Multiple agencies are working together today tracing the tracks of a man who stole a Mercedes in the city of Key West, crashed it into a Big Pine Key canal then stole a truck and fled northbound out of the Keys.The suspect is believed to have stolen the 2007 white Mercedes from a friend he was traveling with. He was spotted northbound in the vehicle at about 1:45 a.m. today by Sgt. Evan Calhoun who estimated its speed to be 120 – 130 miles per hour. As Sgt. Calhoun pulled out onto the highway to follow, Deputy Aaron Roddy saw the car turn quickly onto County Road.
As Deputy Roddy followed the Mercedes, he found barricades at the end of Croton Lane broken and the Mercedes sinking quickly in the canal, an estimated 100 feet out from the barricades.
With the possibility of persons still being in the car, the Sheriff’s Office notified Florida Highway Patrol to conduct the crash investigation and called out the Sheriff’s Office dive team to assist with pulling the car from the water.
The car was removed from the water at approximately 6:30 a.m. No one was found in the vehicle.
A short time later, the Sheriff’s Office received a call from a person living nearby the crash scene. He reported going downstairs at the residence at about 5:30 a.m. to find his wallet, truck keys and dark blue F150 truck gone. He said he saw wet footprints on the front porch, near the door to the house.
It believed the suspect fled northbound out of the Keys in the truck. Sheriff’s detectives are working together with FHP and with Key West Police on the investigation, which is currently active and ongoing.