APOPKA, Fla. – In the aftermath of a dramatic Florida Highway Patrol chase that culminated in a car plowing through a brick wall in an Apopka neighborhood, a local resident is still grappling with the lingering damage a month later.
The pursuit, according to FHP documents, saw troopers tailing a motorist across Central Florida at speeds soaring up to 130 miles per hour. A precision immobilization technique (PIT) maneuver executed near Apopka Boulevard and Lake Pleasant Road on April 17 ultimately halted the chase.
As detailed in the arrest report, this maneuver sent the vehicle careening into a brick barrier within the Chelsea Park neighborhood.
The driver, 25-year-old Deon Justice, is now facing several charges, including aggravated fleeing resulting in injury or damage, reckless driving, leaving the scene after causing property damage, and non-violent resistance to an officer.
Neighbor Pat Oates, whose property is adjacent to the wrecked wall, has been dealing with the inconvenience of the gaping hole ever since the incident.
Oates explains that the wall is under the jurisdiction of the homeowners association, managed by Trident Management. She recounts spending weeks attempting to get information on when the necessary repairs would commence.
“You call the phone number and it says to leave a message that they’ll return the phone call. They’ve yet to return one phone call,” Oates said.
She also says the damage changed how she uses her own backyard.
“I’m trying to get my wall back in place so that my dog can have her yard back,” she said.
After News 6 contacted Trident Management on Thursday, the company responded saying repairs are now scheduled for Monday.
In a statement, Trident Management said the matter had already been resolved with Geico and disputed claims that they failed to respond to Oates.
The company said it has “proof that the insurance company has issued the check and the work has been scheduled with our chosen vendor.”
Oates says she’s hopeful the repairs finally happen but still has doubts.
