St. Pete Man Arrested On Drug Charges After Crashing Into House

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – A St. Peterburg man is facing multiple drug charges after driving recklessly and then crashing his car into a home on 10th Street North.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, 27-year-old Michael Amons of 1751 27th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, caught the attention of deputies around 2:30 a.m. Thursday, March 1, when they noticed him driving erratically.

Deputies tried to pull over Amons’ 2012 Acura on 71st Street near 54th Avenue North but Amons refused to stop. Instead, he continued driving recklessly, swerving, running red lights and switching the car’s headlights on and off.

Suspecting this might be more than a routine DUI, deputies decided to call in the Violent Crimes Task Force, a multijurisdictional unit focusing on violent crime.

The task force located Amons’ car and began the Acura without Amon’s knowledge. Unit members said they saw Amons run several red lights and stop signs. At one point, he drove at speeds of more than 100 mph with his headlights off.

They followed Amons south along Haines Road, then east on 54th Avenue North to 53rd Avenue North. At that point, deputies say Amons tried to turn onto 10th Street North but lost control of the car, crashing into a home at 5301 10th St. N.

Although the home had significant structural damage, the five residents inside were not injured.

Amons was treated by paramedics at the scene and transported to Bayfront Health St. Petersburg with non-life-threatening injuries.

When deputies searched the Acura, they found a significant amount of illegal drugs and a large amount of cash inside.

Amons has been charged with one count of trafficking in cocaine, one count of trafficking in MDMA, possession of hydromorphone, possession of marijuana and reckless driving. Additional charges are pending.

Image via Pinellas County Sheriff