A Florida woman was recently arrested after allegedly committing the same crimes she was previously accused of and out on bond for.
Kristin Ann Mittelstadt, 35, faces six charges, including fleeing to elude, knowingly driving with a suspended or revoked license, driving with a suspended or revoked license as a habitual offender, fleeing with reckless disregard for safety, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Authorities noted the repeat nature of the defendant’s charges in a statement, saying Mittelstadt admitted she fled because she knew that if she got caught, she would likely be going to jail for a long time. She was already out on bond for fleeing to elude and knowingly driving while her license was suspended or revoked.
The incident occurred during the early evening hours near the corner of Rolling Hills Court East and Masterpiece Road in Lake Wales. A deputy observed Mittelstadt swaying left of the middle of the roadway in a silver Ford Mustang convertible, prompting him to follow behind the car before attempting a traffic stop.
Using emergency lights and sirens, the deputy attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the Mustang increased speed from approximately 40 mph to 60 mph and fled. While giving chase, the vehicle exceeded the speed limit slightly before approaching an intersection with a highway where other vehicles were backed up. The fleeing car briefly moved into oncoming traffic before cutting through a gas station parking lot.
At that point, the first deputy lost track of the Mustang. However, other deputies soon arrived in the area and located the vehicle again on Masterpiece Road. Another traffic stop was attempted, but Mittelstadt allegedly fled once more.
To end the pursuit, deputies performed a Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT maneuver), forcing the vehicle into an abrupt sideways turn, causing the driver to lose control.
After her arrest, Mittelstadt was read her rights and allegedly admitted to fleeing law enforcement because she did not want to go back to jail due to her suspended license. She acknowledged knowing that her Florida driver’s license had been revoked and also admitted to smoking methamphetamine earlier in the day.
Authorities state that Mittelstadt’s driver’s license has been revoked since 2009. She is currently being detained on a $12,000 bond.
