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LAKELAND, Fla. (WFLA) — An Orlando man was arrested and charged in Polk County last weekend after the Florida Highway Patrol said a traffic stop led to the discovery of large quantities of drugs and cash.
Derrick Turner, 31, was traveling westbound on I-4 in Lakeland when he caught the attention of a state trooper. In an arrest report provided by FHP, the trooper wrote that he noticed a white BMW with an “extremely dark” window tint.
He conducted a traffic stop on the BMW and ordered Turner to roll all the windows down. At that point, the officer saw that there were three passengers in the car and smelled a strong odor of marijuana.
Turner became nervous during the stop, the trooper said, and was not able to produce a driver’s license or ID card. When asked to step out of the car, he put the vehicle back in drive and fled.
The trooper began a pursuit, during which Turner reached speeds of 120 mph and started passing traffic on the shoulder, the arrest report said.
He exited I-4 at State Road 33 and failed to negotiate a curve, causing him to collide with a concrete wall and damage the left side of his car. However, Turner continued to flee from the trooper.
The trooper ultimately ended the pursuit with a PIT maneuver and placed Turner under arrest.
During a search of the BMW, officers discovered large quantities of marijuana and cash. In total, $8,687 and 250 grams of marijuana were recovered. Turner told police that the marijuana was his, and the three passengers were released from the traffic stop.
Turner was then booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with fleeing and eluding, possession of cannabis with intent to sell, possession of over 20 grams of cannabis, possession and transportation of drug paraphernalia, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, and driving with a suspended license.