The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man Tuesday after trying to pull him over in a “homemade vehicle” jerry-rigged with an LED rope as headlights and adorned with a “wide load” sign in front.
Deputies attempted to make a traffic stop around 8:30 p.m., at Lawrence Road and Franklin Loop in Marianna, said Ramsey Romero, a JCSO spokeswoman. But the driver allegedly sped away, going a short distance before abandoning the vehicle and fleeing on foot.
A deputy made contact with a passenger in the homemade car, and the driver was identified as Josh Patrick, JCSO said in a news release. Patrick had several outstanding felony warrants in Jackson and Calhoun counties.
A K-9 tracking team was dispatched to the area where Patrick fled and located him a short time later. He was arrested on charges of driving on a suspended license and fleeing and eluding law enforcement.
The Sheriff’s Office noted that the homemade car had no tags or traditional headlights. The driver had been charged nine times in the past for driving with a suspended license.
“This is not something that we see every day in Jackson County,” she said. “But you still have to have a driver’s license to drive this type of homemade vehicle.”