Jeremiah Baxter kept driving after Florida Highway Patrol troopers tried to stop his truck on I-95 near Boynton Beach, and a 3-year-old was later found inside. Troopers booked Baxter into the Palm Beach County Jail after the stop ended and the child was taken by her mother.
Troopers said Baxter was 29 and was driving a black Dodge Ram. Before the stop, Lake Worth Regional Communications Center relayed a caller’s report that the truck was swerving, traveling without headlights and being driven by someone who appeared to be drinking and using a phone.
I-95 near Boynton Beach
A trooper then saw the truck heading north without headlights or taillights and following another vehicle too closely. After the patrol car’s lights and siren came on, Baxter kept going at about 40 mph in a 65-mph zone, then moved onto the shoulder but still did not stop when a public address speaker ordered him to pull over.
A second trooper moved in front of the truck before Baxter stopped. The first trooper drew a firearm and repeatedly ordered Baxter to show his hands, and troopers said he refused commands to show his hands and get out of the truck as they removed and handcuffed him.
Jeremiah Baxter and his daughter
Baxter shouted, "my daughter was in the truck," and troopers found the 3-year-old in a car seat in the rear passenger-side seat. The child’s mother arrived and took custody of her after the stop.
Baxter told troopers he delayed stopping because he was on the phone and adjusting a neck pillow around his daughter. He also said he had not been drinking, while the caller had described the driver as appearing to be drinking and the trooper reported a slight odor of alcohol on his breath. The trooper said there were no other signs of impairment and did not pursue a DUI case.
Palm Beach County Jail
During an inventory search, troopers said they found two bags with a total of 2.7 grams of marijuana in a backpack, along with pre-rolled tips, and field tests were positive for marijuana. No alcoholic beverages were found in the truck. Baxter faces four misdemeanor charges and a civil traffic citation for driving at night without headlights or taillights.
The stop ended with the truck secured, the child out of the vehicle, and Baxter booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. Readers following the case now have the basic question in view: why he kept driving after the lights and siren were activated, even after the shoulder stop and the repeated commands to stop.
