TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrested a man Tuesday evening after they say he drove under the influence and led them on a high-speed chase on the interstate in Tampa.
Around 7:57 p.m. Oct. 20, a trooper saw a blue Ford pickup truck "driving at a high rate of speed, going in and out of traffic," an arrest report said. The trooper wrote that he had just merged into traffic on Interstate 275 north of the Howard Frankland Bridge.
The trooper began following the truck and said it was clocked going a steady 92 miles per hour. The driver slowed several times because of traffic building up, but continued to go in and out of traffic, FHP said.
When they approached the Dale Mabry exit, FHP said the driver increased speed again to 87 mph, and the trooper drove up behind the truck and activated emergency lights. The trooper said "the defendant refused to stop and increased his speed driving recklessly."
The truck driver continued eastbound on Interstate 4, "changing lanes abruptly which was consistent with someone driver under the influence," the report states.
Other troopers joined the pursuit and were able to force the truck driver to stop at mile marker 18 on I-4, according to law enforcement.
Troopers said the man driving the truck was unaware of what happened when they stopped him. And, troopers said they "could smell the strong odor of alcohol" on the man, who was slurring his speech and unable to maintain balance.
The driver was identified by authorities as George Leroy Cramer, 66. He was then taken to Orient Road Jail. Cramer is charged with resisting an officer without violence, driving under the influence, fleeing to elude (highspeed) and driving while license is canceled, suspended, or revoked (second or subsequent offense).
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