Report: Man peels out in front of reporters during hurricane, chased down by police chief

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A 20-year-old Minneola man was chased down by Daytona Beach Police Chief Mike Chitwood and arrested after doing burnouts with his truck in front of reporters covering Hurricane Matthew, police said.

The incident happened at about 5 a.m. Friday in the middle of the storm on South Atlantic Avenue, a Daytona Beach police report said.

Chitwood was on patrol in the 700 block of South Atlantic Avenue when he saw a black GMC truck speeding down the road doing burnouts “where multiple news reporters were standing along the roadway,” the report said.

The driver, later identified as Brandon Ware, drove toward the International Speedway Boulevard bridge and started doing 360s with the truck at the base of the bridge, investigators said.

Chitwood chased after Ware until another officer could respond and pull the man over.

Ware was stopped in the 1200 block of West International Speedway Boulevard and was arrested on a charge of reckless driving.

Cox Media Group