ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office says a North Carolina man was taken into custody after ramming a deputy’s patrol vehicle and leading deputies on a high-speed chase down I-95 Wednesday afternoon.
Just before 4 p.m., St. Johns County deputies say they spotted a stolen vehicle out of Orlando at a RaceTrac gas station on SR-16. When deputies moved in to make contact, they say the suspect, Joseph Grillo, 38, rammed a patrol vehicle and sped away from the gas station.
Deputies initiated a pursuit southbound on I-95. The chase ended near mile marker 311, where deputies successfully executed a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle.
Grillo was arrested and charged with aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting with violence, fleeing and eluding, and grand theft of a motor vehicle. Authorities say Grillo is a documented Folk Nation gang member from North Carolina.
The pursuit and crash snarled traffic on I-95 South for several hours on Thursday.
All lanes were back open by 7:30 p.m.