Florida man running from police finally stopped by fallen pants, officers say

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

What started as a traffic stop quickly turned into a high-speed chase, back-to-back crashes and an arrest that happened thanks, in part, to the suspect's pants falling down.

Tobias Smith, 24, faces a long list of charges stemming from the chaotic chase and crashes.

Daytona Beach, Florida, police say they tried to pull Smith over Tuesday for trying to cut through a parking lot along West International Speedway Boulevard to avoid a traffic light. Documents say Smith took off on North Nova Road.

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Smith made a hard right from the center lane onto Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Boulevard, police say, and at one point drove 60 mph in an area with a 25 mph speed limit.

Police say Smith ran a red light at the intersection with North Keech Street, and hit a car, a light pole and then the front of Nu-Looks Barber Shop, which had customers in it at the time.

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After the crash, police say Smith got out of the car and started running. Two officers caught up to him as his pants fell to his ankles, knocking him down.

The driver of the car that Smith hit went to the hospital after complaining of chest pains. No one in the barber shop was hurt, though police say the front of the business has $3,000 worth of damage.

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Upon closer inspection, Daytona Beach police say they learned Smith was driving on a suspended license, and that the license plate on his vehicle actually belonged to another car.

Smith faces several charges, including fleeing police and leaving the scene of an accident.

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