A 28-year-old Wildwood man who tried to outrun police in a stolen truck has been sentenced to jail time.
A Marion County sheriff’s deputy began the chase the night of Jan. 27 in southern Marion County and was joined by a Lady Lake police officer at the intersection of U.S. 27/441 and Fennell Boulevard. Stop sticks were deployed at U.S. 27/441 and County Road 466, but they failed to stop the fleeing driver. Lake County sheriff’s deputies then joined in the chase just south of Eagles Nest Road.
The truck began to malfunction and officers were able to apprehend the driver, 28-year-old Loren Edward Burckard III of Wildwood. The vehicle originally had been spotted in an area where several burglaries had occurred and the truck contained items that might be connected to the burglaries. Drugs and drug paraphernalia were also found in the vehicle. Burckard told law enforcement officers he had ingested methamphetamine so he had to be taken to Leesburg Regional Medical Center for medical evaluation. After he was cleared, he was booked at the Lake County Jail.
He pleaded no contest to charges of grand theft, felony attempting to flee or elude police, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug equipment.
He has been sentenced to 11 months, 29 days in the Lake County Jail. He will also lose his driver’s license for one year.
