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High Speed Escambia Chase Ends In Alabama, Deputy Involved In Wreck
June 29, 2012
[Updated 10:15 a.m] A high speed police chase that began in Escambia County ended about 20 miles into Baldwin County Thursday evening, injuring one person and causing a wreck involving a deputy and private vehicle.
The driver, 31-year old Michael Joseph Heath of Johnson Avenue, Pensacola, is being held without bond in the Baldwin County Jail as a fugitive from justice. He is awaiting extradition to Escambia County on charges of aggravated battery and aggravated assault, plus additional charges stemming from the pursuit.
Escambia County deputies responded to a disturbance on Mercer Lane about 6 p.m. Thursday. The victim told deputies that her Heath, her ex-boyfriend, had thrown her clothes in the road and left the area. Officers responded to his residence where they observed him drive away in a white Dodge Caravan. Deputies attempted a traffic stop, but Heath failed to stop. He led them from Mobile Highway, to I-10 and to West Kingsfield Road.
Witnesses reported over a half dozen Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputies chasing white Dodge Caravan along West Kingsfied Road at a high rate of speed a short time later. Escambia County EMS was dispatched to West Kingsfield Road after a passenger in the van, 33-year old Timothy Johnson of Pensacola, jumped from the moving van and complained of a shoulder injury. Johnson is not facing any charges.
A short time later an Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy in a marked cruiser and the driver of a Nissan pickup were apparently involved in an accident near the intersection of Muscogee Road and River Annex Road in Cantonment, just a short distance from the Alabama state line. That accident happened about 6:45 p.m.
A rear tire on the Grand Caravan began to come off, and Heath was finally stopped with the assistance of the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and Alabama State troopers on Highway 112 near Holly Grove Road in Baldwin County, about 20 miles into Alabama. Heath then ran from officers on foot, but was soon apprehended.
Pictured above and bottom: A white Dodge Caravan was chased by Florida deputies into Baldwin County Thursday evening. Pictured below: An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy was involved in a wreck on Muscogee road near the Alabama state line. Pictured bottom inset: A pickup truck was also involved a Cantonment crash. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
Comments
24 Responses to “High Speed Escambia Chase Ends In Alabama, Deputy Involved In Wreck”
That is so true. i agree things were great the 1st preganacy and we were happy. she his life he didnt think he could have kids but here we are with the 2nd one on thway. he made bad decisons and now he has to suffer for them im not say i was innocent in this by no means but that wasnt the man i fell in love with.
well he was at our home when the cops found my van instead of goin in there to get him because he had a warrants they allowed him in that van and chased him knowing from his record hes a runner. hes at fault dont get me wrong but so are the cops…
When a man and a woman have children, married or not they are a family unit. It is far more complicated than just politely saying goodbye and leaving.
If the relationship can be salvaged and a positive enviroment for child development established a home, then by all means try to reconcile.If this relationship is toxic, then by all means think of the children as you conclude it. Drama is always bad.
Might be a good idea to avoid the child part until you are sure the relationship has the necessary ingridients. If you can help it.
bad judgement to chase a vehicle and risk the lives of other people on the road for what he did he didnt rob a bank or kill someone although he could have running from the law what happen to common sense i dont see any here
Mr Heath It would have been much easier rather than throwing her cloths into the street, to have neately packed yours into your van and left in peace. In my youth I would pleasantly say, Im going to the store, Ill be right back.
Try leaving peacefully, your a little sad and anixous as you engage the clutch and feeling liberated and free before you get out of third gear. Don’t look back.
Supercharged emotion does no good, when transitioning out of these relationships.
Best to stay calm and clearheaded, and to have a plan.
david thats very true. its been a long painful year and it sux it turned out this way. ive got to pick up the peices and its hard with 2 of the kids bein his. and you cant control who your daughters date. my dad told me for 2 years to leave mike and on his death bed he was forgiven to mike i didnt jus lose my father mike lost a father he knew him since he was in diapers.
girlfriend on June 29th, 2012 10:44 pm
It’s up to you, but you MIGHT consider changing your status to
exgirlfriend on June 29th, 2012 12:57 pm
Mike, if it had been my daughter she wouldn’t have been with this guy.
@M…I guess if this victim was your daughter would you want them to get the bad guy another day? What if you were the victim I think we can all agree your outlook would be different. People like you don’t want cops to do their job unless it’s your family that’s involved then they can’t get there fast enough or do enough to protect you. Now you have a fun day hugging your tree!!
@ so called Patriot, I don’t vote for liberals, I’m not a liberal. I don’t know where you came up with that. That is so irrelavent . Just breathe.
If you personaly knew the young couple that was almost t-boned on Kingsfield, maybe just maybe, you would feel different. It’s not worth an innocent life. And this girlfriend has a right to defend herself if he came back. she also has a right to stay somewhere else until he was found. Girlfriend ,you should pick your boyfriends a little more carefull. He’s your problem.
The ECSO won’t do anything? I guess chasing this guy across two states and putting him in jail so he won’t hurt you any more means nothing. Here is an idea – take responsibility for your decision about who to get into a relationship with. The ECSO can’t fix a problem overnight that took you years to create.
my van was ruined because of this chase he had slapped me twice and spit on me and poured beer on me and i am pregnant. he threated to burn down my house and break my jaw and kill was it worth yes it was worth it! i have kids and nothe ron the way and he has put me threw hell and NOW my stuff has been stolen by his family and the ESCO wont do anything. MY LIFE and my kids lives are turned upside down by this!
In response to M:
If you’ll read the entire article, you will see that he was charged with aggravated battery and aggravated assault, both violent felonies which “demand pursuit” per the SCOTUS.
I grow tired of hearing folks say ” couldn’t you just catch him later?” Let’s play that thought out. The ECSO refuses to pursue. The suspect later comes back and kills her. Then you would be screaming about that.
When violent felons flee, cops chase them, it’s that simple. That’s what “most” reasonable folks (including Chief Justice Roberts) expect them to do.
If you disagree, keep voting social liberals into office, and they will keep placing liberal judges in office, and eventually you’ll get your wish.
REGARDING:
“Was chasing this guy worth the risk the public was put in?”
Considering the sporadic reports of incidents, it isn’t all that certain the law enforcement officers were all that reckless. They were behind him at one place, then they were after him some other place. In a proper — or improper — chase they wouldn’t have been losing him so often.
Sometimes when someone goes on the run, he keeps running whether anyone is behind him or not. I knew of one instance where law enforcement officers were following a fellow near Auburn, they thought he got a way and waited for him to show up. He never did. He had run off the road into a gully. Road crews noticed the buzzards eating his body when they went to repair the guard rail he had taken out while wrecking.
That is a danger of not following and stopping an insane driver.
The other danger lies in driving too closely and prompting him to drive even more recklessly. That doesn’t seem to have happened here, not if they kept picking up the chase in other places.
David for good grooming like that above
Wow that van looks just like mine..so convenient :/
REGARDING:
“I don’t know half the roads mentioned in articles like this one ”
mapquest.com can help you
Googlemaps can help you
David mentioning helpful web sites
Was chasing this guy worth the risk the public was put in? I heard from a young couple who were almost hit pulling onto Kingsfeild. The law would have caught him sooner or later.The cops have been watching too much tv. There was no immediate threat from this guy. He threw his girlfriends clothes in the street ,so lets do a high speed chase and maybe kill some innocents.ECSD has never been run by the most intellegent people!
AL HWY 112 is the Alabama side of Muscogee road, if you are on Muscogee and cross Perdido River into AL you are now on Hwy 112
Mike, why did you run? You have innocent written all over your face.
The only confusion i have comes from reading some of the posts here.
people what dose it matter if it as ALof FL on the end if you no were it happen you should no the county are escambia county al is north of escambia county fl like atmore al .Muscogee rd runs from hwy 29 to the al line in baldwin county al so all the incidents was part of the high speed chase.
>>>. I wish an Al or Fl could be put after Escambia County in articles around the area.
Since we are “NorthEscambia.com” and our primary coverage area is the northern half of Escambia County, Florida, we do not put FL for Escambia County, FL. If it only says Escambia County, it’s Florida.
If referring to the county in Alabama, we always put Escambia County (Ala.).
What do you call that Felony Eluding?
The fuel injected, dual overhead cam 289s they put in those Mercurys and Ford Vikis are fast. Throw in hedders on dual exhaust with that performance computer chip and overdrive.
Only an idiot would run from the law, especially in a Dodge minivan.
So the 2 incidents were not related?…..??…. Did either one have anything to do with Escambia County, Alabama?…..??…. I wish an Al or Fl could be put after Escambia County in articles around the area. I don’t know half the roads mentioned in articles like this one so I never know which county the article is speaking of. I do know Baldwin is in Alabama.