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Man Flees Police, Crashes; Truck Bursts Into Flames

Fransisco Calvillo (Photo from Levy County Sheriff's Office)
Fransisco Calvillo (Photo from Levy County Sheriff's Office)

After a night of drinking, a Levy County man attempted to flee police and ended up crashing his truck into a tree, causing it to burst into flames, authorities said.

Fransisco Calvillo, 22, was driving a red pickup truck in Bronson early Wednesday when Deputy John Finkell tried to stop him because he had no tail lights, said Lt. Scott Tummond, a Levy County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

Calvillo accelerated and made sudden turns, causing Finkell to lose sight of the truck on backroads.

Finkell continued searching the area for the truck when he saw a woman stumbling in the street at the intersection of Northeast 80th Street and Northeast 95th Avenue, according to a separate news release. Finkell saw the truck crashed into a tree and got out of his truck.

The woman, who had been in the truck with Calvillo, said that she had begged him to stop driving, according to the release.

Finkell found Calvillo on the truck’s floorboard suffering from a head injury, Tummond said. Finkell went to get help, but the vehicle burst into flames. He opened the passenger door and dragged Calvillo out.

The deputy applied pressure to Calvillo’s wounds as medical responders and firefighters arrived, according to the release. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

The woman said that she and Calvillo had been drinking and that Calvillo didn't intend to stop for law enforcement.

Calvillo was charged with fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol will investigate the accident and DUI, the release said. Calvillo wasn't listed in Levy County jail records Wednesday afternoon.

Calvillo has previous pending charges for domestic battery and tampering with a witness, Tummond said.