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Hernando Today

Car Chase Leaves Lingering Questions

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By KYLE MARTIN

Published: December 18, 2007

Hernando Today

BROOKSVILLE - A high-speed pursuit on Thursday night left a wake of busted fences, three wrecked cruisers and a whole host of questions.

Among them:

Why begin a pursuit at what passes for rush hour in Hernando County at 5:45 p.m.?

Why continue a pursuit on Mariner Boulevard when speeds top 100 mph?

Is recovering a stolen vehicle worthy of a 15-mile chase that winds through Spring Hill and Royal Highlands?

Sheriff Richard Nugent has called a press conference for today to explain why his forces kept after Roy Reffuse for half an hour until he crashed the car at Sedate Street in Royal Highlands.

The pursuit policy of the sheriff's office obviously gives deputies leeway to break the speed limit and run stop signs so long as it's done in a cautious manner.

Under the heading "Pursuit Justification" is this introduction:

"The purpose of the pursuit is the apprehension of a suspect who refuses to voluntarily comply with the law requiring drivers to stop upon command."

Then it outlines the factors a deputy should consider before beginning a pursuit, which first requires the approval of a supervisor.

Time of day should be considered. Deputy George Loydgren said he was in the area of Sunshine Grove Road on Cortez Boulevard when he spotted a 2008 red Mazda that had been reported stolen earlier in the day. It was 5:45 p.m.

Loydgren followed the car onto Mariner Boulevard and flipped on his lights and siren at Lola Drive. The Mazda accelerated to speeds that crested 100 mph, the deputy reported, and "swerved in and out of traffic" while disobeying "all traffic devices including stop signs and traffic signals."

The criteria for continuing a pursuit include: speeds involved and the volume of vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic.

Reports aren't clear on the route that Reffuse followed, but he eventually made his way back north into Royal Highlands. Along the way, a deputy's car spun out on a patch of sand as he attempted a right turn onto Montour Street from Weeping Willow Street.

The cruiser skidded and collided into a car uninvolved in the pursuit. Both people in the other car complained of neck pain and were transported to Brooksville Regional Hospital. Deputy Derik Deso was uninjured.

Two other conditions a deputy should weigh before continuing a pursuit are: Safety of the public in the area of the pursuit and safety of the pursuing officer.

Twenty minutes after the chase began, Loydgren was still after Reffuse and another deputy was driving behind him on Salina Street. Dust from the limestone road billowed up into a great cloud and the "pursuing deputies could not see the approaching T intersection of Sorrel Street."

The cruisers hit an earthen berm, which sent them airborne through a fence at the intersection. Neither Loydgren nor Deputy Christopher Croft was injured.

Policy states road conditions should also be considered when in the midst of a pursuit.

Reffuse eventually crashed his car and fled on foot briefly before he was captured, deputies reported. Investigators say they found a "quantity" of methamphetamine in the car in addition to six syringes and a spoon with residue.

The suspect reportedly admitted to shooting up 70 units of meth prior to the chase and was described as "extremely jittery." Reffuse, 27, of Dade City, was charged with possession of meth and paraphernalia, grand theft auto, fleeing and eluding and driving with a suspended license.

Loydgren's report only states he recognized a stolen vehicle before beginning the chase. The seriousness of the offense should be weighed in a pursuit, according to policy.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com

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