Fort Pierce man unable to elude deputies in high-speed chase

A Fort Pierce man remained in St. Lucie County Jail on Sunday on $71,375 bond after being charged with felonies and misdemeanors in a high-speed run from sheriff's deputies early Friday morning.

Deputies began chasing Shannon David Culbertson, 33, of the of the 1300 block of Pepper Tree Trail, about 2:30 a.m. near Easy Street and South U.S. 1 in Fort Pierce. According to the arrest report, Culbertson fled north on U.S. 1 at a high rate of speed and rammed the side of a patrol car.

Stopped once at gunpoint at Palm and Oleander avenues, he reportedly fled again before crashing the tan crossover SUV into bushes in the 2800 block of U.S. 1. There he allegedly struck a deputy who was trying to pull him out of the vehicle, and was struck in the face by a deputy.

Culbertson was charged with fleeing and eluding police; resisting arrest with violence; habitually driving with a suspended license; aggravated battery on a law officer; and kidnapping, after a female passenger told deputies that Culbertson had refused to let her out of the vehicle he was driving.

Culbertson also was charged with misdemeanor driving under the influence and leaving an accident scene with property damage.