A wanted felon leads Pasco deputies on a high speed pursuit through a busy highway in Port Richey.
It happened around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday in the area of U.S. 19 and Fox Hollow Drive.
Warrants Units went to a house on Becky Lane in Hudson in an attempt to arrest Erick Batta.
Batta immediately got away in a stolen 2005 Ford pick up truck.
State records show Batta has a lengthy criminal history, serving time for aggravated assault and battery on a person 65 or older.
Pasco investigators tell ABC Action News, he recently violated his probation, only three months out of his latest stint in prison.
He was our district target of the month, which means that we'd put extra emphasis in finding this person because of the threat to the community," said Lt. Toni Roach with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office.
Batta crashed into another car along U.S. 19, causing non-life threatening injuries to the other driver.
"The rear-end of the vehicle was compressed so badly that the trunk of the car was essentially in the back seat of the vehicle," said Lt. Roach.
The wanted fugitive then crashed into a light pole and a traffic light support pole at the intersection.
Deputies dragged Batta out of the truck and discovered more drugs in the back of the vehicle.
He faces several felony charges, including grand theft, felon in possession of a firearm, flee or elude police, and probation violation.
