A Summerfield joyride turned into a full-blown felony stop Friday night after deputies say a man on a blue pit bike decided to test both traffic laws and gravity.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to the area of SE Sunset Harbor Road and SE 103rd Avenue around 6:40 p.m. on Jan. 30 after Dalton Laine Herring was spotted riding an unregistered pit bike on the roadway and sidewalk.
K-9 Corporal R. DeMarco attempted a traffic stop, but Herring allegedly responded by hitting the throttle instead of the brakes, taking off down Sunset Harbor Road, cutting through a field near SE Timucuan Road, and racing toward SE 103rd Avenue with patrol lights and sirens activated behind him.
Deputies say the chase took a sharp turn when Herring drove directly toward DeMarco’s patrol car, forcing the deputy to slam on the brakes. The pit bike then collided with the front of the patrol vehicle, sending Herring to the ground and ending the pursuit.
After he was taken into custody, a search by Deputy Hammons reportedly turned up multiple small bags and foil wrappers containing crystal-like and powdery substances, including a light purple powder.
During a post-Miranda interview, Herring admitted the drugs were “ice,” a street term for crystal methamphetamine. However, deputies say all of the substances presumptively tested positive for fentanyl, with a combined weight of 9 grams, more than double the amount required to trigger a trafficking charge under Florida law.
Herring also reportedly told deputies he knew he was being stopped, but chose to flee because he did not want to get “screwed over” again for riding a dirt bike on the road. He further admitted his driver’s license was revoked, and records confirmed he already had two prior convictions for driving while license suspended or revoked.
Herring was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he faces three charges:
• Trafficking in fentanyl (4 grams or more)
• Fleeing and eluding law enforcement with lights and sirens activated
• Driving while license suspended or revoked (second or subsequent offense)
Bond was not set on the fentanyl trafficking charge.
What started as a pit bike rolling down a sidewalk ended with a wrecked ride, flashing lights, and nearly 10 grams of fentanyl in a pocket, a reminder that in Marion County, even a small engine can carry very big consequences.
