Camaro Flips 7 Times After Driver Fled Traffic Stop: Sheriff

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A 24-year-old St. Petersburg man’s decision to flee from a Thursday morning traffic stop in Seminole led to a string of accidents, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The man was ultimately brought into custody after the Camaro he was driving flipped six or seven times.

The incident that led to charges for Monte T. Dudley began to unfold around 8:30 a.m. Dec. 29. A deputy reportedly attempted to pull over the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro Dudley was driving because it had an improper tag.

Deputies say Dudley pulled over on the right southbound curb lane of 113th Street North at the intersection of 102nd Avenue North. Dudley, however, changed his mind, the agency wrote in an email to media.

“On a red traffic light, the Camaro made a sudden evasive maneuver, abruptly turning southeast through the red traffic light and into the intersection of 113th Street North and 102nd Avenue North,” the email said. “The deputy did not pursue the Camaro.”

After entering the intersection, deputies say the Camaro hit a 2015 Ford Fiesta that was heading west on 102nd Avenue. The Fiesta, driven by Tyler Swinehart, 23, of Largo, was moving under a green traffic signal. Right after hitting the Fiesta, deputies say the Camaro hit a 2004 Dodge Durango driven by James Joyner, 42, of Brooksville.

After the two crashes, Dudley is accused of taking off again. He headed eastbound on 102nd Avenue North at high speeds, the email said.

“The Camaro continued driving erratically and passed two deputies who just cleared an unrelated traffic stop on 102nd Avenue North,” the email said.

Once again, deputies did not pursue the vehicle.

Investigators say the Camaro hit a traffic sign on the south side of 109th Avenue North, swerved into the grass and began to roll over. The Camaro continued to roll over “six to seven times” in an eastbound direction. The car rolled through the front yards of three homes before hitting a large tree in the 10800 block of 102nd Avenue North.

Dudley had to be extricated from the Camaro by rescue crews, the sheriff’s office noted. In addition to the occupied vehicles, tree and street sign, authorities say the Camaro also struck a mail box and an unoccupied vehicle during the flight attempt.

Dudley was taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. He will be charged with aggravated fleeing and eluding, felony driving on a suspended license and two counts of leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies say Swinehart and Joyner were not injured in the crash.

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