GAINESVILLE, Fla., Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Police in Florida said a man who led officers on a chase told them he fled so he could smoke his crack before going to jail.

Gainesville police said officers attempted to pull over a blue pickup truck Saturday because it had a headlight out, but the driver failed to stop and ran a red light while fleeing the pursuing vehicle, The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun reported Wednesday.


Cpl Angelina Valuri, police spokeswoman, said an Alachua County Sheriff's Office deputy joined the chase and the truck eventually stopped at a Kangaroo gas station on U.S. 441 in Micanopy.

The driver, Kenneth Stine, 53, told officers he stopped fleeing because he was out of gas. He told the officers he had refused to pull over because he had just purchased some crack and wanted to smoke it in his vehicle before going to jail.

Stine was arrested and charged with fleeing and attempting to elude, possession of drug paraphernalia and violating his felony drug probation from a 2010 case.