Two men are in custody after a chase that stretched across Volusia County and ended with a felony traffic stop in DeLand on Thursday night.
How the Chase Began
Around 6:19 p.m., detectives with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office District 2 Community Street Team spotted 45-year-old Hassan Hayward of Deltona driving a black Ford Explorer. Hayward had active warrants for selling, manufacturing, and delivering cocaine within 1,000 feet of a church, along with a violation of probation charge.
When a deputy attempted to pull him over, Hayward refused to stop and sped off, sparking a pursuit.
About an hour later, Hayward had switched vehicles and was found driving a Honda SUV instead.
Deputies and DeLand Police Department officers coordinated a felony traffic stop, using what the Sheriff’s Office called a Vehicle Containment Technique to safely box in the vehicle and bring it to a stop.
Two Suspects Taken Into Custody
Hayward was arrested without incident, along with a passenger identified as 36-year-old Tajh Curry of DeLand. Curry was already facing charges for robbery by sudden snatching and domestic violence.
Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s office credited the coordinated response between VSO deputies and DeLand police officers for bringing the pursuit to a safe conclusion. Officials say the joint effort reflects ongoing cooperation between local law enforcement agencies working to get repeat offenders off the streets.
The arrest has drawn attention online, where a viral clip of the traffic stop shows Hayward denying he was behind the wheel of the Ford Explorer during the initial chase.
His insistence, delivered with an unusual phrase swearing on his toe, quickly became a talking point among commenters reacting to the video, with many joking about the memorable denial while also praising the deputies involved.
Community reaction to the post has been largely supportive of the arrest, with several commenters thanking law enforcement for removing wanted individuals from the streets. A few raised questions about the use of force during the stop, while others pointed to the frustration of seeing suspects with active warrants continue to evade capture before finally being caught.
Details on formal charges related to Thursday’s pursuit, including any charges tied to fleeing and eluding, had not been released as of the latest update. Both Hayward and Curry were being held on their existing warrants at the time of the arrest.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office continues to encourage residents to report suspicious activity and reminds the public that fleeing from law enforcement only escalates the risk to everyone involved, including the suspects themselves.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
