By Joanna Putman
Police1
LEE COUNTY, Fla. — A deputy was injured after the driver of a stolen U-Haul drove in the wrong lane directly at cruisers, according to a Lee County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post.
The pursuit began on Nov. 2 when a license plate reader determined the U-Haul was stolen. When deputies approached the U-Haul at a gas station, the driver and one passenger fled.
At one point, deputies, who were not a part of the initial pursuit, drove towards the fleeing vehicle while other cruisers pursued from behind, according to the post.
The U-Haul crossed the road’s center line and drove at the cruisers in the wrong lane. It struck one cruiser, continued to drive recklessly and hit another cruiser head-on.
The deputy involved in the head-on collision was injured by the impact and taken to the hospital, according to the post.
The U-Haul came to a stop and the driver, Michael Kurpaska, was arrested on charges of aggravated battery, criminal mischief, hit and run with damage and felon in possession of ammunition. The passenger fled the scene and is still at large.
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