FORT MYERS, Fla. — Florida Highway Patrol responded to reports of a wrong-way driver on I-75 close to mile marker 149 in Lee County close to the Charlotte County line.
It happened after Fort Myers Police responded to a domestic dispute call Wednesday morning around 10am involving suspect Wisdael Torres Jr., who was blocking his ex with his car and pointing a weapon at her.
When FMPD responded to the scene, Torres, who has a suspended license, fled in his vehicle. Police say he was driving erratically down Colonial, which is what prompted them to stop following him.
Lieutenant Shawn Yates told Fox 4 the thought process that went into deciding to stop the pursuit.
“So these cases, we’re constantly reevaluating and evaluating the need for the pursuit, the danger to the officers and the danger to the public. So we look at those, we look at traffic conditions, the pedestrian conditions. Obviously his driving he’s driving on the wrong side of the road, nothing good can come from that. So that’s why we look at those decisions on whether to continue and push that pursuit or stop it," says Lieutenant Yates.
FMPD says Torres then got on I-75, where Florida Highway Patrol picked up the chase.
While troopers tried to get the vehicle to stop, the driver lost control while going the wrong way and the vehicle overturned into the median near the Lee-Charlotte County line.
Torres is now in custody and facing nine total charges from FMPD, including aggravated assault with a firearm.
He'll also be facing additional charges from FHP.
