POLK COUNTY, Fla. — Several people are injured following a Sunday morning crash in Polk County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
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According to a news release, around 12:17 a.m., a trooper was conducting speed enforcement on Ronald Reagan Parkway near Champions Gate Boulevard.
Troopers said a red Ford Mustang passed by the trooper at nearly 80 mph in a 45 mph zone.
But once the trooper was about to chase after the Mustang, the driver turned off the lights and sped out of sight.
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Investigators said the trooper approached Ronald Reagan Parkway and Pine Tree Trail, where he found the Mustang had crashed into a Nissan Pathfinder.
FHP said the Mustang driver and passenger fled from the scene.
Polk County deputies said they found the passenger but have not found the driver, 18-year-old Ramon Santiago-Garcia of Haines City. There was also a second passenger in the Mustang.
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The passenger of the Pathfinder, a 21-year-old woman, and the Mustang passengers, including a 15-year-old boy and a 17-year-old man, were taken to the hospital.
Troopers said the Pathfinder driver, a 22-year-old Davenport woman, is hospitalized in serious condition.
Anyone with information about Garcia should contact FHP by calling *FHP (*347) or Crime Stoppers at **TIPS.
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