Deputies say a 60-year-old Hastings man fled a traffic stop as a 15-year-old passenger stole the truck and crashed near the Putnam County line.
BUNNELL, FL — A missing child from St. Johns County was found during a Flagler County traffic stop on Dec. 31 that spiraled into a roadside struggle, a high-speed chase and a rollover crash, authorities said. Deputies arrested the driver — a registered sexual offender — and a teenage passenger after separate pursuits on U.S. 1 and State Road 100.
Flagler County deputies say the encounter began Wednesday morning after a caller reported suspicious activity involving a white Ford F-150 on U.S. 1 near Whiteview Drive. The driver was identified as Darnell Hairston, 60, of Hastings, and two juveniles were in the truck. During the stop, deputies determined one of the juveniles had been reported missing in St. Johns County and moved that child into a patrol vehicle for safety. What followed, investigators said, was a chaotic sequence that left two deputies with minor injuries, a sheriff’s cruiser damaged in a crash and the pickup flipped onto its side near the county line. Authorities emphasized the child was recovered safely, and the investigation is ongoing.
Deputies said Hairston tried to run as the traffic stop turned into an arrest attempt. During a brief struggle in the roadway, he allegedly reached for a deputy’s firearm before being tackled and handcuffed, according to the sheriff’s office. As deputies wrestled with the driver, a second juvenile — identified by authorities as 15-year-old Junior Bishop of Hastings — jumped behind the wheel of the truck and sped off, nearly hitting a deputy’s foot. Patrol vehicles gave chase south on U.S. 1, then west toward the Putnam County line on State Road 100. Near the line, deputies said the teen moved briefly into oncoming traffic, then swerved back and intentionally rammed a marked cruiser. Both vehicles left the roadway into the woods, and the F-150 rolled over. The teen climbed out and ran but was quickly detained without reported injuries.
Investigators said two deputies suffered minor injuries in the series of confrontations. One deputy was treated and released from AdventHealth Palm Coast after the collision; another had minor injuries after a separate crash in which a patrol car struck an automotive repair building in Bunnell while responding, according to the agency. Hairston was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility without bond pending first appearance. He faces counts including resisting an officer with violence and attempting to deprive a law enforcement officer of a firearm. Bishop faces charges including aggravated fleeing and eluding, aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, reckless driving, driving without a license and resisting an officer without violence. The sheriff’s office has not released the age of the recovered child, citing juvenile privacy rules, and has not detailed how long the child had been reported missing.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Hairston is a registered sexual offender with a lengthy criminal history. According to Staly, records show Hairston served part of a 12-year sentence for false imprisonment before his release in 2009 and has prior arrests that include aggravated assault, burglary and sexual battery. “I am thankful that nobody was seriously hurt and that we were able to recover a missing child from this pervert’s grasp,” Staly said, adding that detectives are examining the relationships among Hairston, Bishop and the recovered child. Officials said the Ford F-150 involved in the pursuit matched the vehicle described by the 911 caller shortly before the stop, and dashcam video captured portions of both the roadside struggle and the crash near the county line.
The sheriff’s office said detectives are still piecing together the events that led to the trio traveling together through western Flagler County. Investigators are working with St. Johns County authorities on the missing-child case and with prosecutors on potential additional counts related to the child’s recovery. As of Thursday, no human trafficking or custodial interference charges had been announced, and the agency said it would release further details when available. Officials said the teen will be processed at the county jail and transferred to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, a standard step when felony charges are filed against a juvenile in Florida. A damage assessment for the crashed cruiser and the repair shop struck in Bunnell was not immediately available.
Hairston remained held without bond early Thursday pending a first appearance hearing, with a date to be set by the court. The teen’s detention status will be determined by a juvenile judge after intake. Detectives planned to review surveillance footage along U.S. 1 and State Road 100, analyze dashcam videos and interview the recovered child with a guardian present, according to the sheriff’s office. The agency said it would also coordinate with the Florida Department of Corrections regarding Hairston’s registration and compliance history. Authorities indicated additional information, including the precise timeline of when the child was reported missing in St. Johns County, could be released after initial interviews and records checks are complete.
Drivers passing the scene near the Putnam County line saw the truck on its side, windows shattered and branches snapped where the vehicles left the pavement. At a separate location in Bunnell, an auto shop employee described hearing a sudden bang as a patrol car lost control and hit the building while racing to the pursuit. “It was scary and over in seconds,” the worker said, declining to give a name because the business was still open for holiday hours. In a statement, Staly said deputies “made split-second decisions to stop a dangerous situation” and credited the 911 caller whose tip started the stop. The sheriff said the child was reunited with authorities and evaluated by medical staff as a precaution.
As of Thursday morning, the sheriff’s office said the child is safe, the roadways are clear and case reports are being finalized. The next milestone is Hairston’s first appearance and the teen’s juvenile detention hearing, expected in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated January 1, 2026.