U-Haul driver leads police on 50-mile chase in Florida

A man from Tennessee was arrested in Florida after a 50-mile pursuit ended in a crashed U-Haul and a chase through the woods.

According to a press release from Walton County Sheriff’s Office, on the night of Wednesday, December 7, Joshua James Cornelius, 40 was arrested in Okaloosa County by the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office after being stopped on a motorcycle with no tag.

He was charged with possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia and was released on a signature bond Thursday morning.

Police say around 9:00 p.m. that same day, Cornelius kicked in the door of a business located in Santa Rosa Beach and stole a U-Haul.

Local deputies attempted to stop Cornelius on Highway 98 in Inlet Beach, but according to the press release, Cornelius refused to cooperate and fled the traffic stop.

The chase began on Highway 98 and continued on 331 South to Highway 90 in Defuniak Springs.

According to the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, HCSO deputies joined in the pursuit near Ponce De Leon, not long before the U-Haul crashed into the woodline off Highway 81.

Police say after abandoning the crashed U-Haul in the woods and running, Cornelius was tracked down by members of the HCSO, Walton Correctional K-9 Team, and Florida Highway Patrol.

At the time of his arrest, He was wearing an ankle monitor from a bondman in Tennessee.

After an investigation, police say they found the same motorcycle he was stopped on in the back of the U-Haul.

Cornelius is the suspect in multiple burglaries in Walton County from December 5.

Cornelius could be facing multiple charges including grand theft, burglary, fleeing and eluding, and Grand Theft Auto.