By Police1 Staff
SUMMERFIELD, Fla. — A pursuit turned into a rescue effort after the felon fleeing police flipped his van and it caught fire.
Marion County deputies received a tip Sunday that Scott Michael Beekman, 28, was on his way to rob a home, ABC News reported. Police found a car matching the description at a convenience store and attempted to pull over Beekman, but he fled.
Beekman was “driving recklessly and endangering other motorists in the east and west bound lanes,” the department wrote on Facebook.
The pursuit came to an end when Beekman swerved and struck a stop sign and a tree, causing the van to flip and catch fire.
https://www.facebook.com/mcsoflorida/videos/1442378799116057/
Deputies can be seen in the video approaching the van with guns drawn before another deputy put out the fire with an extinguisher.
Officers smashed the windshield to pull Beekman to safety. He was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and was released to police. No officers were injured.
“They not only prevented what could have been a major crime, but they also saved this individual’s life despite the danger involved,” the department wrote. “We are also thankful for the citizens who jumped into action to help our law enforcement. They are all heroes and we are proud to have these deputies serving the citizens of Marion County.”
According to ABC, police found a loaded pistol and rifle near the driver’s seat. Beekman was charged with fleeing with disregard to safety of person or property, three counts of possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon, possession of a short barreled gun, rifle or machine gun and driving with a suspended or revoked license.