DEC 2022. Blues Vol 38 No. 12

AROUND THE COUNTRY
ST. PETERSBURG, FL.
Florida officers prevent driver from speeding into
thousands of 5K racers on Thanksgiving.
By Devoun Cetoute
Miami Herald
ST. PETERSBURG, FL. — A Florida
woman nearly was the cause
of a Thanksgiving disaster when
she weaved around cops to try
to drive through a 5K race with
thousands of runners. Officers’
quick actions stopped her and
ended what could have been
“tragic results,” police said.
The St. Petersburg Thanksgiving
Day 5K Turkey Trot was
already underway Thursday with
3,000 runners on its secure racecourse
closed to traffic around
8 a.m., when Ashlee Morgan, 38,
sped toward the track, St. Petersburg
Police said.
WTVT reported she was driving
at about 60 mph in her 2019
Range Rover Velar toward the
race in St. Petersburg.
Police say she was driving
recklessly when three officers
stopped her and asked to see
her ID. She refused and hit the
gas, speeding onto the 5K racecourse.
“Our officers immediately
identified the reckless driver as
being a threat to the runners,”
police said.
Another officer tried to stop
her, but she drove past two
police cars. She was eventually
forced to a stop by another officer,
police said.
She was then put in cuffs and
charged with reckless driving,
leaving the scene of a crash,
resisting an officer without violence
and two counts of fleeing
and eluding.
“Thanks to the quick response
of the officers on scene, they
were able to stop her, and avert
what could have ended up being
tragic results,” police said.
Police later learned she was
leaving the scene of a crash
where she hit a stop sign.
The North Shore Elementary
PTA said in a statement, “...We
would like to express our gratitude
to the St. Petersburg Police
Department for their quick
actions to protect participants
in yesterday’s Coffee Pot Turkey
Trot 5K from a reckless driver.”
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