Driver speeds past troopers, leading to chase, drug arrest

If he had simply moved over as he passed two Florida Highway Patrol cars parked on the shoulder of Florida’s Turnpike, Dontate Snell might not be in jail.

It was that violation of the state’s Move Over law that caught the troopers’ attention, investigators said. And it was the ensuing fight with a trooper and seizure of marijuana, cocaine and heroin that landed him in real trouble.

According to the arrest report, Snell, 33, of Fort Lauderdale, was driving in the right lane on the turnpike, near Atlantic Boulevard in Pompano Beach shortly before noon Monday when he passed two patrol cars working a traffic stop, their emergency lights flashing.

Upon seeing Snell violate the Move Over law, Trooper John Greisheimer pulled onto the road and pursued his gray Hyundai Elantra, which had Alabama license plates.

Snell pulled over and got out of the car, which continued to roll down the road scraping along the guardrail. Snell jumped over the

guardrail and ran down the embankment ignoring the trooper’s order to stop.

Greisheimer ran after Snell and caught him near a barbed-wire fence. The two wrestled until the trooper was able to handcuff Snell and call for backup on the radio.

Noticing that Snell was bleeding from his mouth, Greisheimer asked if he had AIDS or HIV. Snell said yes.

Snell was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment and testing. He was later transferred to the Broward County Jail.

Meanwhile, Trooper Misael Diaz arrived at the scene and used his patrol car to stop the runaway Hyundai before it reached the toll plaza.

A search of the damaged car turned up a backpack on the front passenger seat. Inside was marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and various drug paraphernalia.

Records showed Snell’s driver’s license had been revoked in 2012 and he had been ruled a habitual traffic offender. He also had an outstanding arrest warrant issued in Broward County.

Snell is being held without bond on 14 charges that include drug possession with intent to sell, resisting arrest, and battery on a law enforcement officer, jail records showed.

He was also ticketed for failing to move over when driving past emergency vehicles.