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The Villages
Thursday, March 28, 2024

Weirsdale man flees scene of hit-and-run crash involving stolen vehicle on County Road 42

Joshua Edward Turner

A Weirsdale man who allegedly was driving a stolen SUV was arrested Monday afternoon after fleeing the scene of a crash.

Joshua Edward Turner, 29, was taken into custody about two and a half hours after the crash when he was spotted on County Road 42 near the intersection of SE 150th Avenue Road by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer. Turner was wearing wet clothes and had no shoes. He denied involvement in the earlier crash but had the key to the stolen vehicle that was involved in the incident in his pocket, a Florida Highway Patrol report states.

According to the report, the crash happened just before 2 p.m. at the intersection of SE 175th Street and SE 155th Avenue when Turner ran through a stop sign and collided with a 2011 Dodge Ram pickup truck driven by Harlie Coppernoll, 24, of Weirsdale. The 2012 Ford Explorer driven by Turner was listed as a stolen vehicle, the report says.

After the crash, Turner fled the scene on foot. Troopers were told that he might be in possession of a handgun, and a black BB gun was later found inside the Explorer.

After troopers obtained a good description of the driver and his possible identify, a manhunt was launched. Multiple FHP K-9 teams from Gainesville and Orlando and FWC officers and other K-9 units aided in the search for Turner before he was arrested and transported to the Marion County Jail.

Coppernoll and her passenger, Chris Cornelius, 38, of Weirsdale, suffered minor injuries. A three-year-old passenger in Coppernoll’s pickup also suffered minor injuries and was taken to The Villages Regional Hospital for treatment.

A passenger in the stolen SUV, 27-year-old Andrea Fedore, of Weirsdale, wasn’t injured.
Turner was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, nine counts associated with leaving the scene of a crash and a traffic violation that occurred while driving with a suspended license. He was held on $27,000 bond.

Since 2008, Turner has been arrested and spent time in the Marion County Jail at least 10 times. Marion County Court records show that since Sept. 27, 2008, when he was listed as an interstate fugitive and extradited back to North Carolina, he has been found guilty of charges relating to: resisting or obstructing an officer without violence, retail petit theft, grand theft, fleeing or attempting to allude a police officer using lights and siren, driving while license is suspended or revoked, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana less than 20 grams and trespassing.

In 2015, he was arrested after he was spotted trying to break into cars parked at the Dam Diner in Ocklawaha.

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