Man accused of fleeing catastrophic SR 200 street race has been found, arrested
Law enforcement officials have arrested a man who they say was street racing with another driver earlier this month on SR 200. The race ended with a crash, and the other driver was seriously injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol has identified the person taken into custody as Jacob Steven Michael Carmack of Ocala. Carmack turned himself in Monday at the Marion County Jail. He has an attorney and declined to speak to troopers, officials said.
Carmack, 23, is charged with one count each of reckless driving which resulted in serious bodily injury to another, crash involving death or personal injuries, failure to remain on scene of a crash which resulted in the serious bodily injury to another, and racing on highways.
Carmack was booked into the Marion County Jail on Monday and released the same day after posting a $21,000 bond. He works as a corrections officer at the Citrus County jail.
Brian Todd, a spokesperson for CoreCivic, where Carmack works, said the Citrus County Detention Facility leadership team is aware of one of their employee's arrest "for an off-duty related incident involving a motor vehicle. This individual has been placed on unpaid administrative leave while the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) conducts their investigation." Todd directed any questions about the incident to FHP.
From its website, it states "CoreCivic is a diversified, government-solutions company with the scale and experience needed to solve tough government challenges in cost-effective ways. We provide a broad range of solutions to government partners that serve the public good through high-quality corrections and detention management, innovative and cost-saving government real estate solutions, and a growing network of residential and non-residential alternatives to incarceration that help address America's recidivism crisis."
About the crash
The crash happened the morning of Nov. 18 on State Road 200. FHP officials said a Ford Mustang and a Chevrolet Corvette were traveling west and speeding. Troopers said the vehicles were frequently changing lanes and driving recklessly while racing.
When the vehicles approached Southwest 80th Street, troopers said, the Corvette struck a Toyota Prius that also was traveling west. From there, the Corvette went off the road and struck a utility pole and a tree. Officials said the Prius remained in the median. The Corvette driver was ejected, officials said.
The driver of the Ford Mustang — later identified as Carmack — hid his car in a nearby business parking lot. He got out and checked on the Corvette. He then left the scene, authorities said.
Officials said the Corvette driver is a 38-year-old man from Ocala. He was seriously injured. His name has not yet been released. The injured man remains hospitalized in serious condition, authorities said.
Identification of the missing driver
FHP investigators released pictures of the Ford Mustang's driver, hoping the public could help identify him.
Troopers were able to identify the driver through their investigation and thanks to tips. Carmack was arrested on Monday.
Officials said the investigation, which is ongoing, will include a determination of how fast the drivers were going.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Accused SR 200 street racer arrested; other driver was seriously hurt
