HOLT, Fla., Feb. 6, 2024— A high-speed chase on the interstate snarled traffic for hours yesterday.

Andrew Brendon Matyac, 33, was arrested and charged for fleeing and eluding, throwing a deadly missile object that struck a patrol vehicle, reckless driving and resisting arrest. 

Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office charges included carjacking, aggravated assault, stolen vehicle, reckless driving, fleeing to elude and resisting arrest.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol news release, events began around 4:22 p.m. when deputies from the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office were in pursuit of a stolen, carjacked Dodge Ram pickup truck traveling north on State Road 87 driven by Matyac.

As a deputy attempted to use spike strips to stop the truck, Maytac swerved, nearly running over the deputy, according to the release.

When Florida Highway Patrol troopers arrived on scene, FHP took the lead in the pursuit, according to the release.

Upon reaching Interstate 10, the truck headed east. Around mile marker 31, Matyac abruptly crossed over the median and began traveling in the wrong direction, westbound in the eastbound lane.

Highway patrol troopers radioed ahead of the wrong-way driver to request extra troopers to slow down and move oncoming traffic to the shoulder.

As troopers diverted traffic to the westbound Holt exit ramp, the truck again switched lanes, traveling across the median moving east in the eastbound lane at a high rate of speed with no regard for safety, according to the release.

As the pursuit approached mile marker 48, troopers performed a PIT maneuver and safely brought the chase to an end. A PIT, or pursuit immobilization technique, maneuver is when a pursuing law enforcement vehicle bumps either the left or right rear bumper of the fleeing vehicle turning it sideways and causing the driver to lose control.

The truck came to rest in the tree line along the eastbound shoulder at mile marker 47 and Matyac tried to run. He was apprehended by an SRSO K9. Medical technicians arrived to take care of the dog bite, according to the release.

Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office assisted Florida Highway Patrol and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in the chase.

Matyac is being held in Okaloosa County Jail charged with driving under the influence, resisting arrest, fleeing to elude, reckless driving, throwing a missile into a vehicle, property damage, assault on a law enforcement officer, possession of stolen property/driver’s license or ID card and petty theft, and is being held for the Santa Rosa County offenses mentioned above, to include battery on a person 65 years or older.

Matyac has been arrested multiple times in Okaloosa County, including for probation violation in 2023 and aggravated assault in 2022, and in Santa Rosa County for grand theft auto, animal cruelty, resisting arrest, trespassing and violation of conditional release in 2023.

Traffic accident

While law enforcement was dealing with the captured suspect, Holt Fire District responded to a four-vehicle traffic accident that occurred at mile marker 47, east of the carjack incident area around 5:15 p.m., shutting down all eastbound lanes.

Two injured people were life-flighted to area hospitals. Their injuries are unknown at this time.

Eastbound traffic was being diverted off I-10 at exit 45 around 6:30 p.m. However, traffic behind the accident site was backed up just east of the exit ramp at the Holt exit.

After being stopped for nearly two-and-a-half hours, traffic stuck behind the wreck site began slowly inching forward again around 6:55 p.m.