High-speed pursuit ends near Founders Park after crash into newly bought boat
A high-speed chase that began after a Monroe County deputy attempted a reckless-driving stop ended around 4:40 p.m. when Florida Highway Patrol troopers used a PIT-style maneuver to stop a fleeing Range Rover near MM 102 in Key Largo. The SUV crashed into a newly purchased twin-engine boat being towed by a pickup near Founders Park; no major injuries were reported and the driver faces multiple charges.
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A late-afternoon pursuit along U.S. 1 in Key Largo ended in a crash near Founders Park Monday, drawing multiple law enforcement agencies to the scene and raising local concerns about roadway and waterfront safety. The incident began around 4:40 p.m. when Monroe County deputies attempted a reckless-driving stop of a Range Rover near mile marker 102. The driver fled, speeding southbound on U.S. 1, weaving through traffic and into the median, according to Florida Highway Patrol reports.
FHP troopers eventually used a PIT-style maneuver to end the pursuit. The SUV subsequently crashed into a newly purchased twin-engine boat that was being towed by a pickup truck near Founders Park. Officials reported no major injuries. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted at the scene, and the investigation remains active.
The driver was identified by troopers as 23-year-old Christopher Brinkley Smithers of Great Falls, Virginia. Troopers said Smithers allegedly admitted taking Adderall, and his breath test registered 0.00. He faces multiple charges from the Florida Highway Patrol as well as an additional fleeing and eluding charge from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The crash into a towed boat underscores the risks that high-speed pursuits pose to other road users and to marine-related property common in Monroe County. Founders Park is a community hub for residents and visitors, and U.S. 1 is the Keys’ principal north-south artery; disruptions on that route can quickly affect local traffic flow, tourism access and response times for emergency services. While authorities did not report serious injuries, the collision involved both a motor vehicle and a recently purchased recreational vessel, suggesting potential economic loss for the boat buyer and repair costs for the vehicles involved.
Pursuits that employ PIT-style maneuvers are designed to bring a dangerous situation to a rapid close, but they also involve risks that departments typically review afterward. The multi-agency response here — Monroe County deputies initiating the stop, FHP ending the pursuit, and FWC assisting at the scene — signals coordination but also points to questions residents and local officials may raise about pursuit policies, public-safety trade-offs and prevention strategies for reckless driving on heavily traveled stretches of U.S. 1.
Investigators with FHP and participating agencies continue to examine the circumstances leading up to the stop, the conduct during the pursuit, and the crash itself. For local residents, the episode is a reminder of the potential hazards on the Keys’ main thoroughfare and the importance of enforcement and community measures to reduce high-risk driving incidents.
