GREENACRES, Fla. (WSVN) — A carjacker took officials on a cross-county chase which ended in a head-on crash and sent a deputy to the hospital.
According to Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, a man identified as 35-year-old Juan Carlos Carmenate fired several shots and stole a car at a Lake Worth deli, Friday afternoon.
“It goes from a quiet Friday afternoon, people thinking about their weekend, to a high-speed chase with a suspect,” said Martin County Sheriff Deputy William D. Snyder.
Aerial video showed the accused carjacker as he tried to evade a Martin County Sheriff deputy by swerving off the roadway.
However, deputies waited along the shoulder and after a brief pause, the chase continued.
“They don’t want to stop in these high-speed chases,” said Snyder.
At one point, officials said, Carmenate opened fire on the deputies during the chase.
The driver eventually lost control of the vehicle and rolled over spike strips before slamming into a detective’s unmarked cruiser on a side road.
After the collision, Carmenate was taken into custody.
“I think it really speaks to the level of violence that we’re seeing more and more on the part of the suspects,” Snyder said.
Surveillance video images showed Carmenate as he bought a few items prior to the chase at Ed’s Food & Deli along Lake Worth Road in Greenacres.
No one was injured in the initial shooting.
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